During my term as your Chair, I’ve had the privilege of traveling around the globe, meeting with our members. One commonality I’ve seen is the respect and value that certified members have for their CMA. Whether in Shanghai, Riyadh, Zurich, or Cincinnati, members have shared with me their unique path to certification and what it has meant to them. As I hear their stories, it makes me appreciate my CMA even more.
One thing I love about management accounting is that it’s the same all over the world. Unlike local accounting laws, management accounting is a global profession that’s unchanged by borders. The CMA is much like this. It’s a global certification without borders. It’s recognized as one of the leading global accounting certifications in whatever country you’re in, and our member numbers reflect this demand.
With more than 14,000 new candidates in the CMA program just this year, global demand is at an all-time high for the CMA. Additionally, we have more than 3,000 newly minted CMAs this year alone. I attended a CMA graduation ceremony at a local chapter in Doha, Qatar, last month, and it was quite impressive! It was rewarding to see our members so excited about completing this major milestone in their professional careers and to see how proud they were of becoming CMAs.
We’re now going full steam ahead to the 50,000 CMAs issued mark, and I’m personally looking forward to this special milestone. In the meantime, I want to challenge you to do one of two things. First, if you haven’t achieved your own CMA, keep striving to reach this goal. Only you can push yourself the hardest, so attack your studies with passion and commitment. You’ll definitely be glad you did. Second, if you already have your gold-standard CMA, show your pride by telling others about your certification journey and encouraging them along the way. Often it’s the perseverance story from others that can make a difference in someone reaching the next level. I’m always looking for opportunities to tell my CMA story to everyone who will listen. I’m proud of my CMA!
Please share your thoughts with me at bmulling@imanet.org.
May 2016
