IMA^® (Institute of Management Accountants) signed a new strategic partnership agreement with Conselho Regional de Contabilidade do Estado de São Paulo (CRC-SP), the goal of which is to support the international advancement of the management accounting profession through IMA membership and promote the CMA^® (Certified Management Accountant) certification among accounting professionals and students in Brazil. 

The announcement was made last week at IMA’s Annual Conference & Expo (ACE) and coincided with IMA’s centennial celebration. 

CRC-SP is a federal entity that represents 150,000 accounting professionals and 20,000 accounting firms located within the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is responsible for certifying, enforcing, and educating its members.  

The partnership agreement, signed by IMA President and CEO Jeff Thomson, CMA, CSCA, CAE, and CRC-SP President Marcia Ruiz Alcazar, expands the organizations’ relationship and outlines the basis for ongoing cooperation, collaboration, and alignment. Partnership elements will include discounted IMA memberships and CMA Scholarships for CRC-SP members and students. 

Participating in the signing ceremony were [pictured below, from l. to r.]: Lisa Beaudoin, IMA director of business development; João Carlos Castilho Garcia, vice president of professional development for CRC-SP; Jeff Thomson, IMA president and CEO; Marcia Ruiz Alcazar, president of CRC-SP; Ginger White, IMA Global Chair; Christian Cuzick, IMA Chair-Elect; and Carl Smith, former IMA Chair, associate professor at the University of Hartford.

The organizations will encourage their members to attend and present at one another’s conferences: IMA’s ACE and CRC-SP’s bi-annual Convenção. They will also hold one joint event per year, beginning in 2019.

“IMA has a strong interest in deepening its relationships and memberships internationally, and by formalizing our partnership with CRC-SP, we are taking an important step toward that goal in Brazil,” said Thomson. “We look forward to a fruitful partnership that will support the growth of management accounting and build important skills among professionals throughout the region.”

Ruiz Alcazar added, “CRC-SP is committed to increasing the value of the accounting profession in Brazil. We believe that the collaboration between IMA and CRC-SP is a platform for elevating the skills and knowledge of our members, strengthening our continuing education program, NBC PG 12.”

For more information on CRC-SP, please visit this website.