New CIMA president calls on finance professionals to build a thriving profession

Sarah Ghosh, FCMA, CGMA, CIMA president and co-chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA

Sarah Ghosh, FCMA, CGMA, has been elected the 90th president of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), the world’s largest professional body of management accountants and co-chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association), which represents the combined membership of CIMA and the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

During her year in office, Ghosh will help lead the organisation in driving innovation and transformation within the profession to ensure that it can keep up with the demands of a constantly changing business world. She will also put great emphasis on growing and promoting the role of finance professionals in creating value through ESG and sustainability and serving the public interest. Moreover, Ghosh will dedicate herself to inspiring and empowering younger generations to become finance professionals. She is particularly keen to promote inclusion in the profession.

Ghosh will work closely with Okorie L. Ramsey, CPA, CGMA, who will serve as chair of the Association and AICPA, to meet the needs of 698,000 AICPA and CIMA members, candidates, and engaged professionals, and maintain the profession’s relevance to individuals, businesses, and economies across 188 countries and territories.

Ghosh said: “I am delighted to have been elected CIMA president and co-chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. It will be a privilege to serve our members and students around the world, promote the great work that they do, and help our profession prepare for the big changes that are heading our way.

“Our responsibility as leaders is to be proactive and decisive, rise to challenges, harness new opportunities and empower others to succeed. I will be using my term to promote sustainability, innovation and inclusion within the profession. I firmly believe that now is the time to seize the future and make progress in these areas. By doing so, we will make a real difference today, and secure a brighter future for ourselves, for those who count on us and those that follow us.”

Ghosh is the second successive woman president of CIMA and co-chair of the Association, and follows on from Melanie J. Kanaka FCMA, CGMA. She became a CIMA member in 1995 and obtained her fellowship in 2013. Over the past 15 years, she has held various leadership positions with an emphasis on member engagement and events planning. Ghosh served as a member of CIMA’s U.K. Regional Board, and as chair of CIMA’s Central Southern Board and the U.K. Network Panel. In 2017, Ghosh joined CIMA Council, and a year later became a member of the Board of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA.

Ghosh is a proven finance leader with expertise in digital transformation and experience gained in multinational organisations, SMEs, and start-ups. She currently works for the U.K. Civil Service, leading finance teams to enable the delivery of quality public services and support the Government Finance Function Strategy with a focus on sustainability and technology. Prior to this, Ghosh held leadership positions across the finance, IT, and operations sectors, improving service provision and transforming processes using data analytics and machine learning.

Earlier this year Ghosh was named among the 2023 Top 50 Women in Accounting in recognition of her work to raise the profile of women in leadership and commitment to driving diversity, equality, and inclusion in accounting and finance.

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, also announced the appointment of 10 members to its Africa Regional Engagement Group (REG):

Chair: Ms Patricia Duru, ACMA, CGMA, Nigeria
Vice chair: Ms Mikateko Tshetshe, FCMA, CGMA, South Africa

Committee members:

• Mr Benjamin Opare, ACMA, CGMA, Ghana
  
• Mr Frank Boateng, ACMA, CGMA, Ghana
  
• Mr Frank Agyare, ACMA, CGMA, Ghana
  
• Ms Funmi Adesida, FCMA, CGMA, Nigeria
  
• Mr Kenney Mwila, FCMA, CGMA, Zambia
  
• Ms Kudzai Chuma, ACMA, CGMA, Botswana
  
• Dr Oluseyi Olanrewaju, FCMA, CGMA, Nigeria
  
• Mr Vincent Kakuwa, CIMA Candidate, Zambia

Tariro Mutizwa, ACMA, CGMA, regional vice president – Africa at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, said: “I look forward to working with this vibrant and geographically diverse group of professionals who decided to take their membership to the next level and serve the Association’s governing board and CIMA Council in Africa. Their valuable contributions to advocate for the region’s needs and showcase how it is advancing accounting and finance practices will support the Association and its mission to drive a dynamic accounting profession.”

Appointments to the REG are made for a 12-month duration and responsibilities will include identifying key trends in the local markets impacting customers, stakeholders, and the profession; representing, engaging, and advocating for the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation; and providing perspective into the development of the Association’s global strategic plan as it relates to both management and public accounting.