CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is delighted to announce that Team Quad Core, which comprised of students from the University of Wollongong in Dubai, has won the Middle East Regional Finals of the third CIMA Global Business Challenge (GBC) competition which took place on June 7, 2011. The CIMA GBC 2011, which is being held in partnership with Barclays, is an international business and financial management competition designed to bring out the best in potential business leaders among young people. The winners will proceed to the global finals to be held in Chengdu, China on 23 and 24 July.
Team Quad Core who were mentored by Professor Mufeed R beat 5 rival teams to achieve first place. Other teams included students from Dubai Men's College and Heriot Watt University, Dubai. Each student of the winning team received a 32 inch LCD TV, in addition to certificates and a trophy for the team.
Mr. Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, the Director of Finance in the Dubai Government and a CIMA member, was the Guest of Honour at the competition. He said, "The Global Business Challenge is a great platform for students to show their knowledge and such opportunities are valuable for promoting the leaders of tomorrow. I have been a member of CIMA for 20 years and definitely it's a useful qualification. This links well with the fact that there is increasing regional demand for professional accountants, whether nationals or expatriates. We are experiencing this more and more, particularly in Dubai where we have seen investment and professional accounting firms set up offices in DIFC and beyond."
Emirati student wins Best Presenter Award:
The Best Presenter Award went to Ghufrana Al Shehhi from the Dubai Men's College. She rose to the challenge of competing in the GBC because "Emiratis are very talented and the CIMA Global Business was a good opportunity to show our abilities and what we are capable of. I am here to encourage other Emirati women to join and to represent my country and culture."
Comments From Judges:
Ammar Aqeel, Chief Financial Officer at BMMI and a CIMA member said: "The preparation and depth of knowledge of the winning team scored them the title. The competition truly captured the essence of CIMA, which is to bring together and groom the leaders of today and tomorrow."
Andrew Mortimer, Chief Operating Officer for Barclays Capital & Barclays Wealth Middle East Region, said: "It was a tough competition with excellent technical standards and presentation skills which exceeded both mine and the other judges' expectations. This is a testimony to the the high level of talent and the quality of mentorship that exists, particularly in the UAE. It also bodes very well for the continued success and development of the region and I am very proud of the team that will represent the Middle East on the global stage in the finals to be staged in China."
High Standard:
Geetu Ahuja, Regional Manager - Middle East, CIMA said, "We are delighted to see the calibre and passion of all the teams that presented today at the Middle East Regional Finals of The CIMA Global Business Challenge. The standard of this year's competition was higher than ever and we would like to congratulate the winners on their success."
Winning team is thrilled:
The winning team comprising students Sara Mukhtar, Kanika Amar, Neha Choudhary and Basit Feroz from University of Wollongong in Dubai shared their experience saying, "It was very tough competition and a lot of hard work but we were up for it. It was interesting to see how each team had a different point of view on how to approach the case study and it was a major learning experience for us. We look forward to competing in China against an even wider range of teams because we'll gain more insights on the various ways of developing a business proposal. Also, we would like to thank our families, friends, our mentor, our university, and the CIMA members for aiding us during this challenging yet exciting experience."
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About the Global Finals in China:
The global final promises to be a thrilling event with a total of 17 teams competing on an international stage for the title of 'Global Champions'. The regional winners will be flown to the global final to compete with teams from Australia, Bangladesh, Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Russia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the UK. Once there, the team will present a business case to an audience of CIMA delegates and a judging panel of prestigious experts who face the challenging task of picking the winning team.
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, founded in 1919, is the world's leading and largest professional body of Management Accountants, with 183,000 members and students operating in 168 countries, working at the heart of business. CIMA members and students work in industry, commerce, the public sector and not-for-profit organisations. CIMA works closely with employers and sponsors leading-edge research, constantly updating its qualification, professional experience requirements and continuing professional development to ensure it remains the employers' choice when recruiting financially-trained business leaders.
CIMA is committed to upholding the highest ethical and professional standards of members and students, and to maintaining public confidence in management accountancy. CIMA is proud to be the first professional accounting body to offer a truly global product in the fast-moving area of Islamic Finance.
According to independent research conducted by the University of Bath School of Management, CIMA's syllabus and examination structure are the most relevant to the needs of business of all the accountancy bodies assessed. See the CIMA Difference report for further information at www.cimaglobal.com/cimadifference
For more information about CIMA, please visit www.cimaglobal.com
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Ewan Abbasi, Ketchum RAAD Middle East
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E. fl.ewan@ketchum-raad.com
Katie Scott-Kurti
Global Profile & Communications Manager, CIMA
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E. Katie.Scott-Kurti@cimaglobal.com
© Press Release 2011
