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Off to Las Vegas!!

By Jeffrey Thomson posted 06-20-2012 07:52 AM

  
Hi All,

I am off to Las Vegas for our global board meeting and IMA's 93rd annual conference and exposition!

IMA is financially healthy and growing around the world.  This success must be sustained, as we have a unique responsibility to serve society by educating, certifying and connecting the world's best management accountants serving as trusted business advisors within their organizations.

But, in the face of competition from much larger entities, we must also do (at least) two other things - a) be innovative, not just in spirit but in delivering tangible, "wow" products and services that create incredible value for our members, and, b) strategic partnerships that expand our global footprint, awareness and adoption of the gold-standard CMA program.

The Wiley partnership is just one example (June 18, 2012 – IMA®, one of the largest and most respected associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession, and global publisher John Wiley & Sons, Inc., announced today a strategic partnership, involving co-branding, distribution, product enhancements, and innovation for IMA’s CMA ® (Certified Management Accountant) Learning System (CMA LS) exam prep suite of products. Wiley, publisher of some of the leading management and financial accounting textbooks and professional learning titles, will commence sales of the CMA LS suite of products later this year. Featuring a two-part exam program, IMA’s CMA credential represents a rigorous ssessment for accounting and finance career professionals. Through this new partnership, Wiley will publish and market IMA’s CMA LS product line through its global multi-channel sales distribution system and leverage the publisher’s innovative delivery options, including mobile applications).
 
Stay tuned very soon for more exciting announcements!

  Jeff
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07-19-2012 05:45 PM

I would put (b) as the number one, over innovation. "awareness and adoption of the gold-standard CMA program". As a CMA for over 30 years, I have been waiting a very long time for this. Thank you.

06-25-2012 05:10 PM

Hi Jeff....
See an excerpted quote of your initial post below......
"we must also do (at least) two other things - a) be innovative, not just in spirit but in delivering tangible, "wow" products and services that create incredible value for our members, and, b) strategic partnerships that expand our global footprint, awareness"
As the last bullet in my earlier recommendation regarding CMA Firms... I recommended development of an examination qualified, 2 year education targeted, Management Accountant Paraprofessional designation.... not a certification, but a designation...
Consider...
the IMA has some 60K members, as I understand....
over 40K are not active CMAs...as i understand..
many are paraprofessionals...
In reference to you statement on beneficial alliances... Intuit QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisors are Paraprofessionals, generally speaking... Please consider discussing an alliance with Intuit for Certified Proadvisors... currently there are some 50K ProAdvisors, as I understand,,,
The combination of the CMA Firm supported by qualified Paraprofessionals should provide a "wow" factor...
thanks
Sledge

06-22-2012 11:24 AM

One of the largest challenges to promoting the CMA credential is getting the senior management of corporations to recognize the benefits that can be added through managerial accounting skills that CMAs have. The first step is to get more CMAs into decision manking roles of organizations. The more CMAs hired, the more the CMA credential will spread. Seems like a straight forward path, yet its complicated by multiple other certifications and the many different perspectives that are out in the world.
I strongly support and promote all of IMA's efforts in bringing more light and awareness to the CMA. Its a matter of time till the CMA is the gold-standard in the accounting field.
Have a good time in Vegas.