Grace Li, CMA, CPA

Chief Financial Officer
Haier America

“For a global company like Haier, management accounting is an important function. As a CMA, I can be an active business partner with decision makers across my organization.”

“I discovered the CMA and IMA about five or six years ago, when I was working in China at a unit of a U.S. multinational corporation. I already had an executive MBA and my CPA, but was looking for a program that would further increase my professional knowledge, performance, and value. I made the decision to study for the CMA by myself, using the online materials. At that time, the materials weren’t translated into Chinese, so I not only gained professional knowledge, but I also sharpened my English communication skills.

“All of the CMA leaders were very helpful, and gave me a lot of guidance and encouragement. As a result, I was able to pass the four parts of the CMA exam in 13 months. I really admire and respect what they were trying to do for me, and how they treated me as a member of the profession. After obtaining certification, I was very active in China as a CMA Part II trainer. To me, it was important to make a contribution and help others on their career path.

“My company values the fact that I am a CMA. As the CFO of Haier America for the past two years, my responsibilities go beyond finance—I need to have a strategic management perspective, and I have attained that from the CMA. What I have learned as a CMA has helped me to organize my thinking, increase my professional skills, and operate at a higher level as a management accounting professional.”