Addressing global biz: CGMA designation recognizes specialized role of management CPAs.

• Position: Professionalissues - Interview

A new designation, the Chartered Global Management Accountant, was launehed in early 2012 through a joint venture of the AICPA and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants CIMA. The CGMA recognizes CPAs working in a range of management accounting roles in businesses, industries and governments worldwide.

AICPA President and CEO Barry McLancon, CPA, CGMA and CIMA chief executive Charles Tilley, FCMA CCMA a former London partner of KPMG and group finance director of investment banks Hambros PLG and Granville Baird discuss the new designation, its development and the role of management accountants in the following interview

Why have the AICPA and CIMA created the CGMA designation?

BM: Combining the A1CPA's, expertise with CIMA's more than 90 years of management accounting leadership is an effective way to create value for our members. For our 140,000-plus members who work in business, industry and government, the CGMA will complement their U.S. CPA license and will elevate their value their value to their employers The CGMA is poised to be the global designation for management accounting and this joint venture with CIMA further enhances the position of the U.S. CPA as a worldwide leader.

CT: We are here to help people and organizations be successful by creating a global standard for management accountants. At the same time we're bringing our resources together our intellectual property and our people and I'm quite convinced the one plus one will equal more than two. What we're doing is we're bringing together two large communities of people CIMA'S 183,000 members and students and the AICPA's collective 370, 000 membership together, we are more than a half a million professionals focused upon driving successful organizations.

What would you say to both CIMA members and CPAs in management accounting about why they should pursue the CGMA designation?

CT: When you have the CGMA designation. you are telling your employer and others that you understand the language of business form multiple perspectives and know how to connect the dots like no other financial professional. For those of us elsewhere in the accounting world, we know that as a U.S. CPA you will have committed to developing and maintaining your skills, your ethical standards and your integrity. The CGMA will expand these to include the additional and specialized skills and standards you need in business, industry and government and will show the you are an experienced business...