Dubai, United Arab Emirates Support from the family and success in the inaugural Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Corporate Business Leaders Challenge (CBLC) is vital for successful participant Meka Nwabuko. “It’s not just hard work for the individual to balance needs, but hard for their families,” Meka says. “It’s very important to know why you do anything that takes away from family, as a rationale to make time for it. It’s vital for people closest to you to understand why too, and when they do, the support then becomes very powerful. They will hold up the mirror to you when you lose steam.”

Determined to gain CIMA membership and attain the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation by 2018 despite the busy schedule, Meka says “Achieving and maintaining a CIMA professional qualification equips me with professional and leadership skills to better navigate the complex and changing business environment,”.

Meka being in his early 30s, was already a mid-career Finance Manager with Shell when he applied and next step was to validate the understanding and to close any gaps to be a well-rounded management accountant and business leader. After the review process, he was accepted onto the pilot programme of CBLC. CIMA’s rigorous screening procedure was vindicated when he won the finals of the challenge with his colleague team partner.

The final challenge consisted of evaluating a business scenario for a fictional company, then presenting on the potential impacts while providing advice as finance managers. Finalist teams were also assigned coaches to support them in the last preparation stages. These senior finance executives helped the teams to build on their strengths from the initial round while also pointing out any development areas which needed work. This element was found to be a very unique opportunity to deepen the skills learnt, enhance communication and hone stakeholder management techniques according to Meka.

Finally, each team’s presentation was made before an independent panel of judges, all leaders in the business world, who acted as the “Board of Directors” to give the challenge a “real-life” feel. “Winning the final challenge was a great achievement for me, especially with the quality of the competition and the interaction. I was very impressed by all the presentations from the teams. It must have been a tough choice for the judges!” says a beaming Meka.

The key strength brought to their presentation was an exposure to different cultures, their diverse personal and professional backgrounds, as well as wide experiences in the softer aspects of the task beyond just technical expertise. “My educational background is very technical, but my work has allowed me to go beyond the numbers to understand the business value drivers and how things can be improved or done differently to achieve better results,” he says.

Meka’s educational qualifications belies a passion for finance and the commercial aspects of a business, which started early in his childhood. Growing up in Nigeria, Meka was continually exposed to an entrepreneurial mindset through family members and the general social environment. “I saw it in action all around me,” Meka says, painting a picture of an active commercial culture. “They may not have the technical words, but it was what they were doing all the time.”

Because of the wider finance and business management spectrum that the CIMA programme offered the ambitious Meka, he adds, “It allows me to better navigate across the entire business spectrum from operational to strategic management. It also challenges me to consider business issues from various lenses including Financial, HR, Organisational and Legal. The topics I found were really current. There was a lot of theory in the CIMA syllabus but when it came to the case study exams, one could really apply that to the real business environment. Overall, the programme gave a lot more confidence in my capabilities, as a business leader as well as in my technical finance skills.”

Further inspired from their challenge victory, Meka and his team partner hunkered down to study for the CIMA management case study exam – passing on the first try, despite it being held just a week after the birth of his daughter! This result meant the continuation on to the Global C-Suite Business & Finance Programme, and take the final step toward the pinnacle of the CIMA qualification by sitting for the Strategic Case Study exam. Having passed this too, the membership into CIMA and the prestigious CGMA designation is now in line. “The focus on ethics, sustainability and professionalism was additionally a key motivation for me to aspire for a CIMA membership,” he adds.

Fresh from completing the highest level CIMA programme, Meka is off on his next challenge; a new position responsible for Governance, Risk and Assurance for parts of Shell’s upstream business, a global role based in The Hague, Netherlands. “This course had an influence on what kinds of role I should go for next,” Meka clarifies. “CIMA’s focus on sustainable governance and ethics is attractive to me. I want to be more commercially-focused but when this opportunity came up, it’s very logical, after CIMA, to be able to look at governance and risk management in the organisation.”

Preparing to start his new role, he is excited about future learning opportunities that will surely continue to come his way including staying current through CIMA. “The function of management accounts will continue to evolve driven by technology advancement/integration, rapid changes in society’s demands, and expectations as well as changes in the global business/macro environment,’’ Meka says. “It is therefore important to adopt and sustain a continuous learning mindset,” he concludes.

About The Association

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) is the most influential body of professional accountants, combining the strengths of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to power opportunity, trust and prosperity for people, businesses and economies worldwide. It represents 667,000 members and students in public and management accounting and advocates for the public interest and business sustainability on current and emerging issues. With broad reach, rigor and resources, the Association advances the reputation, employability and quality of CPAs, CGMAs and accounting and finance professionals globally.

About CIMA

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), founded in 1919, is the world’s leading and largest professional body of management accountants, with members and students operating in 177 countries, working at the heart of business. CIMA members and students work in industry, commerce, and 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.

Issued by The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association)

*Source: AETOSWire

Contacts:

Adenike Olayande (Specialist – Business Development, Dubai)

+971 4368 9432 – adenike.olayande@aicpa-cima.com

Diyana Kamar (PR Manager – Asia Pacific)

+6012 220 4627 – diyana.kamar@aicpa-cima.com

© Press Release 2018

Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.

The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.