IMA (Institute of Management Accountant) announced that its annual Middle East Regional Conference (MERC18) will be held in Amman, Jordan on September 15-16, 2018. The early bird registration for this two-day event is open until July 25, 2018.

Now in its sixth year, the conference centers around an urgent call to action for organizations, management accountants and university students to “upskill” in competencies that will help them better utilize automation in business such as strategic management, data analytics, data governance and data visualization.

“IMA is doing its part to envision and prepare for the future of our profession by enhancing our Management Accounting Competency Framework to help organizations steer talent management and hiring decisions, while professionals prepare to reach their full potential,” said Jeff Thomson, CMA, CSCA, CAE, IMA president and CEO, who will be one of the keynote speakers at the conference.

IMA’s Framework identifies six domains of core skills that finance and accounting professionals need, many of which are included in the CMA (Certified Management Accountant) credential curriculum:

• Strategic Management

• Reporting and Control

• Technology and Analytics

• Leadership

• Business Acumen and Operations

• Professional Values and Ethics

“Given the critical times we live in now, accountants are increasingly expected to play a positive role in our economy by helping companies make sound business decisions that allow those companies to operate effectively,” said Ammar Khayyat, CMA, CPA, president at Jordan Association of Management Accountants (JAMA) who is co-hosting the conference in Amman.

IMA has been consistently delivering relevant research on the evolution of the financial professional to business partner. This year’s conference also features a new track for university students majoring in commerce, accountancy, finance or business administration to help them prepare for a career that involves more than just number crunching.

“IMA is proud to be at the forefront in bringing global and regional industry thought leaders along with IMA members to uncover the latest in digital transformation and connectivity. Our pledge at IMA is to continuously lead in addressing pressing topics that revolve around the role of management accountants and the skills finance and accounting professionals must uphold in an ever evolving digital era,” added Hanadi Khalife, director at IMA for Middle East/India operations.

“We also invite practitioners, academics and other stakeholders to comment and share their feedback on the exposure draft of IMA”s Management Accounting Competency Framework now through September 17, 2018 by visiting www.imanet.org/framework,” she noted. — SG