Even in the midst of the global pandemic, IMA Europe hosted several well-attended virtual events over the past few months, including a series of highly successful Facebook live sessions. Please see the following links to listen to or see recorded versions of some of these webinars (Note: recorded webinars are not eligible for CPE credit).

Management Accounting Conference-Switzerland

On June 17, IMA Europe hosted its first virtual Management Accounting Conference, to a resoundingly positive response. The virtual event attracted attendees from around the world, who listened to presentations from leading speakers on innovating budgeting and optimization practices leading the way to Industry 4.0. Academic and industry experts discussed what to expect as we approach the next stages of digital transformation. Then, attendees connected and engaged with each other and the speakers in virtual breakout rooms. Speakers included:

• Paul E. Juras, Ph.D., CMA, CPA, IMA Chair-Elect 2019-2020; Vander Wolk Professor of Management Accounting and Operational Performance at Babson College  
• Prof. Dr. Klaus Möller, Professor of Controlling/Performance Management and Executive Director of the Institute for Accounting, Control, and Auditing at University of St.Gallen 
• Dr. Eelco Fiole, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Alpha Governance Partners; Adjunct Professor at HEC Lausanne, The Faculty of Business and Economics of the University of Lausanne
• Dr. Franz Wirnsperger, Managing Director of the Hilti Lab for Integrated Performance Management at Hilti and University of St.Gallen
• Dr. Martin Zwyssig, CFO at REHAU; VP of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Belimo
• Emma Feneley, Senior Consultant at EMEA Recruitment
• Hessel Brouwer, President of IMA Switzerland Chapter
• Marco Otti, Group Controller at Autoneum; Director at IMA Switzerland Chapter

Visit this YouTube link to view and listen to the entire 4.5-hour event.

Other recent events included:

Remote Leadership Webinar: “Managing and Inspiring Your Team During Lockdown” (1 hour)

Webinar host Dr. Gaya Gamhewage, head, learning and capacity development, WHO (World Health Organization), gave participants an insight on practical leadership techniques and how to overcome unique challenges – from methods of communication to work-flow issues and changes in policies – using the technology available to everyone. 

CMA Information Session with Dennis Whitney, IMA Senior Vice President of Certification, Exams & Content Integration (1 hour). Link to recorded presentation: https://www.facebook.com/EuropeIMA/videos/3443124022367657

During his talk, Whitney gave a CMA^® (Certified Management Accountant) exam prep session exclusively for CMA candidates in Europe. Topics covered included: a deep dive into the CMA exam structure; strategies for the essay and multiple-choice parts of the exam; exam tips for both parts 1 and 2; advice on how to prepare for the exam and what to do if a retake is necessary.

Other events (not recorded) included:

• Ethics Webinar: “Wrongdoing Prevention: Crafting Improvements to Your ERM”— Hosted by Dr. Chris Schmidt, from the IMA Germany Chapter, this webinar discussed his doctoral research, which looked at universities in the U.S. and Europe and how they handle whistleblower claims. Schmidt’s research is available through ResearchGate and Google Scholar. 
• IMA Amsterdam Chapter Zoom presentation on May 14 with Jeff Thomson, IMA President and CEO, on “Management Accountants: Helping to Battle the Global Pandemic and Adding Value in a Crisis”— At this IMA Amsterdam Chapter virtual event, Thomson discussed how CFOs and management accountants can add value in a time of crisis, their evolving role in finance and accounting, and the support and resources available from IMA during COVID-19. 
• IMA Berlin 2020 CPE Zoom Event — This event consisted of two presentations from partners Flowpilot and Facton Liquidity, who discussed management software and enterprise product costing software. The virtual event also included an annual meeting of IMA Berlin Chapter members, including an on-camera meetup with new chapter members and to announce upcoming initiatives.