Students: You’ve got a world of possibilities waiting for you as you consider a career in accounting or finance. Embrace your future by attending IMA’s Student Leadership Conference, to be held at The Westin Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C., on November 14-16, 2019. Registration is now open at www.imaslc.org.
The Conference promises three days of networking, learning, and fun with more than 600 like-minded attendees, including students from 100+ colleges and universities. Keynote sessions will include:
- “Being All in All of the Time” – John Howell, managing director at Grant Thornton, will share an inspiring message about how it’s not so much about change as it is about changing the way you see things. He will help open attendees’ eyes to the beauty in what they do and how they do it.
- “Transforming the Finance Function with Robotic Process Automation” – Loreal Jiles of BP will lead a discussion of the power of RPA, its impact on the profession, and how to become a leader in this space.
- “The Healthsouth Fraud: A Case of Ethical Malpractice” – Weston Smith will share a personal, behind-the-scenes story of Healthsouth and the corporate culture that motivated the company’s financial statement fraud.
Concurrent sessions will offer insights that can help students succeed in their first professional position, including preparing for the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) exam, understanding global business, and making the journey from student to C-suite professional. Other sessions will cover “hot topics” such as ethics, diversity and inclusion, and forensic accounting.
“We try to make this Conference better and better every year, and we’ve definitely delivered. We’ve assembled a great line-up of speakers, plus many opportunities for students to make contacts that can help them in their careers,” said Jodi Ryan, CAE, IMA director of member engagement. “Numerous companies will be collecting résumés to fill internship and entry-level positions, so students should bring along copies to share with potential employers.”
Please visit the IMA website to see a full list of sponsors and exhibitors. Faculty members should also have their students listen in on a special edition of Faculty Friday on October 18 to help them update their résumés and prepare for interviews.
Ryan noted that Cummins Inc. will be conducting interviews on site for select students at the Conference. To be considered for these interviews, students must upload their résumé when they submit their registration by October 25.
Several fun and educational networking events are also planned. On Thursday afternoon, attendees have the opportunity to learn more about accounting and finance in action by choosing one of three optional industry tours: Bank of America; Charlotte Knights (Triple A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox); or Duke Energy. Discounted tickets to the NASCAR Hall of Fame will also be available. Students are also invited to a Welcome Reception and, later, a Student Chapter Leadership Roundtable, for those interested in starting or growing an IMA student chapter.
On Friday night, attendees can unwind, enjoy a dinner buffet, and bowl a few frames at Strike City. At the event, judges will moderate the annual T-shirt design competition. Students are encouraged to have their school participate and join in the fun of this popular event. The winner receives $500 for their school or student chapter; details are available at SLC T-shirt design competition.
IMA once again will offer a Conference app (available on the Google Play or Apple store), which will allow attendees to create a personalized schedule, as well as view session information, speaker bios, exhibitor/sponsor information, and more. There will also be an opportunity to have a free professional photo taken to use on your LinkedIn profile.
If you still need more convincing, watch this YouTube video from last year’s conference.
For complete details, including registration information, please visit www.imaslc.org. To keep up with the latest news, join the conversation at #IMASLC19 on IMA's Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter pages.