Abdul Naser Parkar (pictured here), from Qatar, was the 100,000th CMA to earn the certification, making him part of a fast-growing group of individuals who have added this prestigious certification to their professional qualifications. The timing of this achievement comes just two years after IMA celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2019 and just five years after IMA certified its 50,000th CMA.
Said IMA President and CEO Jeff Thomson, CMA, CSCA, CAE, “To put things in perspective, it took 44 years to reach 50,000 CMA certificates in 2016, but only five years to reach the 100,000th in 2021. This is an amazing achievement and reflects the global demand for our certification. The fact that IMA accomplished this during such a turbulent time in our world is even more noteworthy. While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to put many people’s career plans on hold, IMA saw 8% year-over-year growth in active CMAs in fiscal 2020-2021, an incredible accomplishment given the volatility of the past year.”
IMA reached this milestone through strong growth across all its regions—the Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe, and Middle East/India. International markets, especially, were high-growth areas in recent years. IMA attributes this success to its ability to deliver value through a global network of corporate and academic partners to empower the finance and accounting profession by bridging the growing skills gap amid fluctuating economic times.
As the 100,000th CMA, Abdul Naser Parkar remarked, “With advancements in technology and ongoing changes in the profession, it is very important for professionals to upskill themselves to accomplish their career objectives and meet the competency expectations of employers. The CMA certification helps professionals to better prepare and remain competitive in the future as automation disrupts our profession. I would like to thank IMA for all the support and resources which helped me in my journey to complete the certification.”
Dennis Whitney, CMA, IMA senior vice president, certifications, exams, and content integration, noted that while some of the content, format, and way the exam is administered have changed over the years, its purpose remains unchanged—to equip accounting and finance professionals with the skills they need to become valued business partners.
“Around the world, earning a CMA enables accounting and finance professionals to advance their careers and make a difference within their organizations and communities,” he said. “We’re proud of certifying our 100,000th CMA and we look forward to continuing to grow the program—and to certifying the next 100,000th CMA!”
For more information on the CMA program, please visit www.imanet.org/cma-certification.