IMA (Institute of Management Accountants) announced record-breaking growth for its CMA (Certified Management Accountant) program during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017. The total number of CMA candidates grew by 40 percent to a record high of 41,000. This expansion of the program has contributed to a 21 percent compound annual growth rate of the CMA candidate pipeline over the last five years. Additionally, IMA’s total membership increased by 11 percent, bringing it to the 90,000 mark, and putting the organization on track to reach 100,000 members by its 100th anniversary in 2019.
“This growth represents the tremendous commitment that our volunteers, partners and staff make to support the profession, as well as the commitment our members make to advance their careers,” said Jeff Thomson, CMA, CAE, IMA president and CEO. “We’re extremely proud of the success we’ve achieved and we look forward to reaching more milestones as we approach our 100th anniversary.”
According to Thomson, IMA’s continued focus on growing with confidence and integrity, and a strong balance sheet grounded in financial discipline enabled it to invest in the multi-million-dollar “You’ve Got to Earn It” ad campaign. The integrated campaign resulted in 26,000 new leads for the CMA program. IMA also celebrated the 10th year of the Chinese language version of the CMA exam, as well as double-digit growth (29 percent) of new CMA candidates in the US.
To honor those who have supported the CMA’s success, ICMA (Institute of Certified Management Accountants), the certification division of IMA, announced the recipients of its top honors during its 2017 Annual Conference & Expo in Denver last month. Ping An Insurance of China and Johnson & Johnson were both awarded for their dedication to the CMA program.
Ping An Insurance of China, an integrated financial services conglomerate headquartered in Shenzhen, was named the recipient of this year’s Bulloch Award. The award recognizes the organization’s outstanding sponsorship, encouragement, and support of the CMA program. The award is in honor of James Bulloch, ICMA’s first managing director, who helped create the original CMA framework and program standards.
Johnson & Johnson, a multinational medical devices, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods manufacturer, was presented with this year’s ICMA Board of Regents Corporate Recognition Award. This award recognizes an organization’s longstanding support and encouragement of the CMA program for their finance staff.
“At Johnson & Johnson, we have a very well-defined approach to developing great business leaders with financial expertise that includes building capabilities through multiple essential business
experiences. Certification is an important part of that approach,” said Ronald A, Kapusta, CMA, CFM, Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, Johnson & Johnson. “The CMA is a great way to develop and enhance accounting and finance knowledge including both technical and decision support skills, prepare associates for greater on-the-job responsibility and advancement potential, demonstrate commitment to personal development and ultimately help build professional credibility and trust.” — SG
