CIMA bats its eyelashes at the US
CIMA is courting US recognition through a hook-up with the AICPA, and a decision is due later this month
CIMA AND US institute the AICPA are to decide later this month whether a hook-up between the two professional bodies is imminent.
Earlier this year, the institutes announced the possible joint venture, which would create a new not-for-profit group called the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
The collaboration would also spawn a new credential for management accountants, and give a “substantially wider footprint” to the profession, according to CIMA chief executive Charles Tilley.
Later this month will see the two governing bodies decide whether the link up goes ahead. When pressed on whether he thought a yes vote was likely, Tilley said: “I would be extremely disappointed if not.” The implication that this is already a done deal was strong.
The AICPA counts 350,000 members in the states, of which 140,000 are business members and “of interest” to CIMA.
Tilley said one of the institutes’ biggest challenges was to “effectively demonstrate on a global basis the criticality of management accounting”. Perhaps the hook-up will give him the wider audience he craves – watch this space.