What is CMA?

Certified Management Accountant
CMAs are leading strategic financial management professionals who integrate accounting expertise with advanced management skills to achieve business success.

CMA Mission
CMA drives value creation by developing professionals and resources to lead the advancement and integration of strategy, accounting and management.

CMA Vision
CMA is the designation of choice.

CMA’s are members of the Society of Management Accountants of Canada

Certified Management Accountants (CMAs) do more than just measure value—they create it. As the leaders in management accounting, CMAs actively apply a unique mix of financial expertise, strategic insight, innovative thinking and a collaborative approach to help grow successful businesses.

CMAs provide an integrating perspective to business decision-making, applying best management practices, ensure corporate accountability, and help organizations maintain a long-term competitive advantage.

CMAs have unique competencies in cost management, strategic performance measurement, process management, risk management and assurance services, and stakeholder reporting, coupled with the ability to connect strategy with operations and anticipate customer and supplier needs. They have a holistic view of business, able to identify issues, envision and chart solutions, and engage the appropriate measures and people within the organization to achieve the desired results. CMAs are considered both leaders and solid team players, which translates into a unique and effective style of management.

Unlike other accounting and business professionals, who specialize in financial reporting, auditing, theoretical applications or after-the-fact verification, the CMA is equipped to look to the future to provide real-world strategic direction, business management and leadership.

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FAQ’s

What differentiates the CMA from other financial designations and other postgraduate business program certifications?
A Certified Management Accountant is part of the management team, focusing on business strategy and strategic decision-making. A CMA understands the business formula for delivering value to the customer, arriving at strategies for identifying, developing, marketing and evaluating a product or service throughout the entire life cycle. He or she assesses the competitive environment and ascertains whether there is a sustainable competitive advantage. Unlike other designations, which emphasize financial reporting, auditing, theoretical applications and after-the-fact verification, the CMA looks to the future to provide real-world strategic direction, business management and leadership. A CMA creates value, instead of just measuring it.

What do employers expect of management accounting professionals?
Employers expect the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) to possess advanced financial and strategic management competencies to provide leadership, innovation and an integrating perspective to organizational decision-making in the global marketplace.

The CMA accreditation process is designed specifically to shape the CMA as a strategic financial management professional. Leadership competencies are developed in such diverse areas as risk and change management, international competitiveness, strategic planning, market development, human resources management, and information systems.

Why is CMA Canada’s accreditation process unique, and what are the advantages of this uniqueness?
The CMA’s accreditation process is unique in that it integrates a sound university business education, verified through a rigorous Entrance Examination, with a leading-edge professional development program and relevant practical experience. This powerful combination enables the fully-formed CMA to understand and apply best business practices to lead successful enterprises in the global marketplace.

The Strategic Leadership component of the CMA accreditation process is unique in the industry and sets the CMA apart from other business credentials. Unlike other management development programs, the Strategic Leadership Program is application centered. As well as learning the best of contemporary and emerging strategic business practices, candidates are expected to apply newly acquired knowledge in their place of work. Furthermore, they are evaluated on this practical application. This is the hallmark of the CMA designation: CMAs know the theory, but also know how to apply it in their daily career activities.

As a result, the CMA is capable of assuming strategic leadership and management roles in a broad range of business functions, adding value to an organization and enhancing its competitiveness.