Jeffrey C. Thomson
CMA
President and CEO

Jeffrey C. Thomson, CMA^® is president and CEO of IMA^®, one of the largest and most respected global associations focused exclusively on advancing the management accounting profession.  He has been CEO since 2008.  IMA has more than 65,000 members in 120 countries, with major regional offices and  200 local chapters around the world.

In 2009, Mr. Thomson led IMA through a strategic turnaround which resulted in attracting more than 5,500 new IMA members (up nine percent) and nearly 12,000 new CMA (Certified Management Accountant) candidates (81 percent growth) in the face of a recession. The strategic initiative included the launch of the new CMA exam, a new visual identity for the IMA and CMA brands, the implementation of a major enterprise technology system, and establishment of new IMA Core Values, serving as guideposts to the IMA strategic theme of “creating value, through values.”  Today, IMA is growing around the world in terms of respect, influence, membership, and CMAs.  IMA’s financial health has been restored, resulting in many new value-adding member products and services.

Prior to joining IMA, Mr. Thomson worked at AT&T for more than two decades where he served in various financial, strategic, and operational roles. In his last position at AT&T he served as the CFO for business sales, an $18 billion revenue operation.  At AT&T, he was responsible for many “firsts,” including implementing activity-based costing, performance dashboards, and a competitive analysis capability.

An author of numerous trade articles, Mr. Thomson has conducted research and spoken globally on a variety of topics, including financial leadership, enterprise risk management, internal controls, IFRS, business performance management, strategic costing methods, lean accounting, strategic planning, and competitive analysis. He has delivered testimony on Sarbanes-Oxley internal controls legislation to the U.S. Congress, and served on the COSO Board of Directors for more than five years.

Mr. Thomson holds an M.S. degree in Statistics from Montclair State University, received a certificate in Finance and Accounting from the Wharton School, and completed the Columbia University Senior Executive Leadership Program. In 2008, he also participated in the MIT Sloan School of Management Certificate Program in Innovation. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

Mr. Thomson was honored by Accounting Today by being included in the publication’s annual “Top 100 Most Influential People List” in 2010 and 2012. He was also named by Trust Across America as one of the “Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior” in 2012 and 2013.