IAPP President and CEO Trevor Hughes, CIPP, promised it from the plenary stage of April’s Global Privacy Summit and today it arrives: The Fellow of Information Privacy, a new credential that allows leaders in the privacy field to demonstrate their experience and knowledge.

The FIP, Hughes said, “recognizes the advanced level of knowledge and issue-spotting skills a privacy pro must attain in today’s increasingly complex world of data privacy.”

In order to be recognized as a Fellow of Information Privacy (and, yes, that acronym is a nod to the FIPPs), applicants must possess one of the CIPP credentials (Canada, U.S. Government, Europe, or U.S.) and one of either the CIPM or the CIPT, demonstrating they know both the “what” and “how” of privacy. Further, they must provide documentation that they have been working as a privacy professional in at least 25 percent capacity for three years or more, and they must provide names and contact information for three peers as references.

Those folks who hold an information security certification from ISC2, ISACA, IEEE, or certain other information security associations can substitute their certification for one of the years of experience.

The best part of the FIP? There’s no fee to apply. Interested applicants can find the details for submitting an application here. The IAPP certification team will process the application within four weeks.

IAPP Certification Director Doug Forman said the FIP program “is a way for people to celebrate a milestone in their careers. They’ve gotten deep enough into privacy to understand the law and the management of privacy programs and have enough experience to talk knowledgably in their organizations as privacy leaders.”

The IAPP will maintain a FIP directory online, FIP holders will receive a digital badge they can use in forums like LinkedIn, and new recipients will be announced semi-annually at IAPP conferences around the world.

Looking just at certification holders currently, there are about 1,000 privacy professionals right now who are likely to qualify as Fellows of Information Privacy, Forman said.

No further continuing education is necessary to maintain the FIP beyond those CPEs necessary to maintain the individual certifications. “It’s a lifetime recognition,” Forman said, assuming FIPs don’t let their certifications lapse.

“This is our way, too,” Forman said, “of honoring and recognizing those people who have contributed a lot to the IAPP and have stood out in their support of the certification program.”