CIMA Pathways for senior corporate professionals

With the intention of up-skilling and developing professionals across the globe, The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) has introduced various pathways to facilitate experienced professionals with proven track records to come onboard to complete the qualification and become a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). The accelerated routes allow candidates to take up examinations at managerial / strategic level based on their experience and qualifications.

The CIMA C-Suite Business and Finance Program, CIMA Corporate Senior Executives Pathway, CIMA Corporate Business Leaders Challenge (CBLC) Pathway and the CIMA-ICASL pathway are some of the accelerated routes that are available currently in Sri Lanka.

CIMA is the most sought-after global management accounting qualification and its curricular is developed with the intention of harnessing competent individuals to lead and drive transformational business growth. A qualification that is sought after by employers worldwide, CIMA members continue to make significant impact in diverse industries. 

Many members of the prestigious accounting body are currently holding leadership positions in national and multinational organisations. The blend of topics covered in the qualification being relevant to the current business context and can be applied throughout industries, is what makes CIMA unique and sought after.

Damith Pallewatte ACMA, CGMA, Deputy General Manager, Wholesale banking, Hatton National Bank was a successful candidate of the CIMA C-Suite Business and Finance Program. He enrolled and completed the program and is now a proud member of CIMA. A career banker, he stated that he decided to enrol with CIMA as he believed that the qualification gave a holistic view and global approach to business.

He further stated that while pursuing the qualification he realised that it provided the resources to be a confident professional through the knowledge covered which had assisted him in achieving better in the current job he is entailed with. He also takes pride and feels motivated to be a part of the largest professional network in the world, which adds value to himself as a professional.

In talking about the C-Suite program and the CIMA syllabus content, he commended how the C-Suite program was structured in a manner that was convenient and supportive to a busy professional. He said that the practicality of the course made it interesting to learn. 

“The syllabus was very relevant and covered many aspects of business and the case studies gave an understanding on the various business challenges faced by organisations. He further added that the study helped him to get a good assessment on the applicability of theory and concepts in the real world.”

Aroshi Nanayakkara ACMA, CGMA, a senior corporate professional, currently functioning as the CEO of Global Consulting company and holding directorships in respected corporate entities in Sri Lanka was also a successful candidate who took up the C–Suite Business and Finance Program.

She stated that the reason for selecting to study CIMA was her interest in finance and accounting that originated earlier in her career as a banker. Talking about the CIMA C-Suite program she said that it was the ideal study program for a senior level professional to update themselves on the financial and strategic knowledge that CIMA covers and that it also gives a professional qualification highly recognised globally and locally. 

She further stated that the CIMA C-Suite program itself is very well designed, taking into consideration the busy schedules of C-level applicants, as the program can provide the knowledge required in a concise manner. It understands that an applicant to the program has acquired the relevant basic knowledge coming up the career ladder and therefore mainly covers the knowledge on key strategic areas in terms of the C-Suite, which are necessary to add value to an organisation. 

Summing up with advice for those planning to enrol with the program she said that the C-Suite program is an important one that showcases your knowledge and professionalism. She also recommended the program to anyone in any field as a finance background is necessary to help an organisation be successful and sustainable in the future.

Manoj Benildus ACMA, CGMA, currently employed as the Product Marketing Manager - Modern Work Place at Microsoft, Southeast Asia – New Markets, was a candidate who registered for the Corporate Business Leaders Challenge (CBLC) Pathway in 2018.

Benildus a marketer by profession, stated that he wanted to complement his knowledge and career with an accounting and business qualification and the CBLC Pathway provided the ideal opportunity for this. He believes that the pathway allowed him to get an understanding of in-depth financial perspective about overall business management, something that would be essential for non-finance professionals in career advancement.

Commenting on the CBLC program Benildus stated that it helped him in understanding many financial aspects of business in a structured and a simpler manner. He further added that relevant and timely topics such as digital transformation, sustainability, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and CSR was covered as a part of the program.

He said the study program for the pathway was conducted in a very convenient manner, the online platform access helped him to get the required study materials, information and exam readiness kits whenever required.

He highly recommended the program to anyone from either a finance or non-finance background as it would definitely assist in pushing one’s career in the right direction.

Rukshanthi Silva, Group Accountant Supreme Global Holdings Ltd. is a candidate who took up the Corporate Senior Executive Pathway which is open to candidates with mid to senior managerial experience. Silva’s motive to register with CIMA was to obtain a world recognised qualification in finance that would also assist her in broadening her knowledge and skill set. She saw the corporate senior executive pathway as the ideal platform for a mid-career professional as herself to upgrade her knowledge to reach the next level. She further stated that she was able to use her practical and technical knowledge along with the study content to face the exams. She spoke high of the structured nature of the delivery program and stated that though the online examination was seen as a challenge initially, as it was a novel format of examination for her, through practice she was able to overcome this hurdle. She also believed that online examinations are the way forward given the current trend towards digitisation in the business world. She highly recommended the program to any mid-career professional as it would be an impetus to career advancement.

These accelerated routes are an excellent opportunity for senior professionals to complement their experience with a global qualification. Make use of this opportunity to become a globally recognised Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA). 

Given the current COVID-19 situation in the world, CIMA introduced online examinations enabling candidates to sit for the exam at their convenience from a location of their choice. Professionals are encouraged to make use of this time to come on board these various options to help them be a step ahead in the new post-COVID world.