David Stanford elected as CIMA President

David Stanford FCMA CGMA has been elected as 84th president of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).  Over the course of a one-year term, he will be responsible for overseeing the governance of CIMA around the world, and promoting management accounting and the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation. 

Stanford has built up a 50-year career that included a number of senior finance roles in industries like electronics and retail.  Leaving school at 16, he wanted to be a fashion buyer, but Stanford became a cost clerk for rubber goods manufacturer Uniroyal, in Edinburgh. Starting his CIMA studies in Scotland, Stanford qualified as a management accountant in 1973, after moving to Manchester with his family.

Stanford has given a lot back to CIMA, serving on its governing council and several local, regional and global committees. Throughout this period of more than 20 years, mentoring the membership, especially students, has been his passion, encouraging the management accountants of the future through their studies.

Stanford has been deputy president of CIMA for the past year. As president, he will work to advance the new Association of International Certified Professional Accountants – the Association – formed at the start of 2017 by CIMA and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). CIMA members are now part of a global network of more than 650,000 professionals and students, in 179 countries.  

On his new appointment, Stanford said: “I am privileged to become CIMA president at such a key time in our history. CIMA joining forces with the AICPA will take accounting to a new and dynamic level, by providing highly-skilled accountants with the knowledge, insight and drive to meet the demands of today and the challenges of tomorrow. I strongly believe the work of the new Association, such as our ongoing commitment to members’ training and employability, will have a huge and positive impact on the profession.”

Stanford takes on the presidency as CIMA goes from strength to strength. In 2016, membership grew by three per cent on 2015, to more than 106,000, with CIMA also gaining 34,000 more students through the year. 

Other appointments ratified at the CIMA AGM, held recently in London:

n2016-17 CIMA President Andrew Miskin FCMA CGMA became Immediate Past President;

nFormer Network Rail and NHS Director Steve Swientozielskyj FCMA CGMA was elected as Deputy President;

nCIMA Council Representative for the Americas Amal Ratnayake FCMA CGMA is the new Vice President.