It’s already been half a year since most countries in Europe went into lockdown and most of us started working from home. According to IMA's most recent Global Economic Conditions Survey, despite extensive efforts to prevent mass redundancy, unemployment still appears to be increasing considerably, with Europe experiencing the lowest GDP. This will test all of us on our ability to adapt to the new (post) COVID-19 environment and prepare our companies and skills for the future in order to stay current. 

At IMA Europe, we adapted to the new situation and continued our mission to provide a forum for research, practice development, education, knowledge sharing, and advocacy of the highest ethical and best business practices in management accounting and finance. We at IMA^® (Institute of Management Accountants) are making the most of remote learning, and we’ve expanded our offering of courses to members, including the IMA Data Analytics & Visualization Fundamentals Certificate™, the IMA Strategy and Competitive Analysis Learning Series^®, Blockchain 101 by IMA, and our newest course offering on Time Management, to name just a few. Many of these courses are free for members, and we also continue to offer a variety of live and on-demand webinars, also at no charge. It’s a great time to catch up on continuing education, and members who have earned their CMA^® (Certified Management Accountant) are reminded that they must earn 30 hours of CPE every calendar year, including two hours on the subject of ethics. Check out the IMA Education Center to see the complete catalog. 

In recent months, some members have contacted us because their potential employer wanted to check the validity of their CMA certificate yet due to travel restrictions, they could not pick up their certificate. Therefore, please note that all employers can check the online CMA register of active CMAs if you indeed still are a CMA holder and are in good standing by active IMA membership and fulfilling your annual CPE requirement. You can check if you are on the list of active CMA holders. 

We continue organizing virtual networking and knowledge sessions and are already making plans for live onsite events across Europe (see some of the articles in this issue for additional details), so we can hit the ground running when this is over and conditions allow.  

No one knows how the situation will develop in the upcoming months, but as an IMA community, we will come out of this emergency more resilient than ever, prepared for the future with new skills. Let’s demonstrate courage, care, and conviction of purpose. I’m optimistic that the end of this crisis is near and that we will all meet again soon. Always feel free to contact me with any ideas, questions, or concerns at amulder@imanet.org. Stay safe!