Todd Mowry, CMA

MBA Candidate
University of Chicago

“The CMA was the perfect way to sharpen my management accounting skills.”

“My main reason for joining IMA was the CMA program. I was working in finance at Monsanto at the time, doing cost analysis, evaluating capital projects, and generally providing support to the manufacturing team. I was looking for a continuing education program that would give me a broader, holistic understanding of the financial management and budgeting process.

“I was pretty enthusiastic about the CMA. I took both parts of the exam in May of 2011 and even received an award for my performance on the exam. More important, studying for the CMA helped me ask better questions at work. Later, when I started in the MBA program at the University of Chicago, the CMA turned out to be a great refresher.

“Management accounting in general is a subject that isn’t given as much attention as it deserves. It gives you a different way to look at things. You’d be surprised at how many people in the workplace can’t piece out the incremental cost of something, or do an analysis that contributes to the ‘make or buy’ decision. I encourage my friends at Chicago to take management accounting courses. And, the CMA exam is a great way to reinforce those skills.

“Looking at IMA from a young professional’s perspective, it’s been a great benefit to me. I’m extremely confident that it can improve your skills and your career potential.”