CIMA announces 91st president of the institute

Simon Bittlestone FCMA CGMA CIMA President and Association Chair

Simon Bittlestone, FCMA, CGMA, CIMA president and chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, said:

“The world is ripe with opportunities for the accounting and finance profession to create sustainable value, innovate and be inclusive. Despite prevailing uncertainty in the world, these are exciting times for our profession and over the next year I intend to help accelerate and lead its continuous evolution to make the most of these possibilities.”

During his year in office, the focus of the profession will be on three critical areas:

• Innovation and transformation. New technologies, including generative AI and robotic process automation, are quickly revolutionising accounting and finance. CIMA and the Association will work on further empowering accounting and finance professionals to cultivate the mindset, skills, and knowledge they need to draw on the enormous possibilities they present.
  
• Value and sustainability. As businesses further integrate sustainability into their strategies and operations, CIMA and the Association will put great emphasis on promoting the role of accounting and finance professionals as trusted advisors, who are equipped to support organisations to drive meaningful, long-lasting change and sustainable value creation.
  
• Inclusion and opportunity. Workforce demographics are rapidly evolving, and the profession must adapt to attract top talent. CIMA and the Association’s work will focus on fostering an inclusive profession, where anyone with the right aptitude and dedication has the opportunity to join the profession, seize opportunities for growth, and build a fulfilling career.

In this pivotal role, Simon will work closely with Carla M. McCall, CPA, CGMA, who serves as co-chair of the association and chair of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). Together they will work to provide nearly 600,000 AICPA and CIMA members, candidates, and registrants with the tools and resources they need to succeed and catalyse the profession into the future in a world of constant change.

Further commenting on his appointment, Simon added: “It is a great honour to serve the profession and I want to say a huge thank you to CIMA members for putting their trust in me to act as CIMA President and Chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.”

Simon is a business leader with experience in both private and public companies and in the US, UK, and Asian markets, and currently holds a portfolio of advisory and non-executive roles for several technology businesses, investment funds, and charities. Simon’s business career includes working for 12 years in the financial analytics industry, a decade of which he spent as CEO of Metapraxis, a finance technology company based in London and New York with a global blue-chip customer base. In the early stages of his career, he worked for technology and services firm Xchanging PLC, now part of CSC, where he qualified as an Associate Chartered Management Accountant and worked on the company’s highly successful IPO on the London Stock Exchange in 2007.

Simon first became a CIMA member in 2009 and was admitted to fellowship in 2016, he has been an active ambassador and supporter of CIMA over the last decade. He was a member of CIMA’s Audit and Finance Committee in 2016-17 before being co-opted to CIMA Council in 2018. In 2021, he was appointed to the Association’s Board of Directors and Audit and Finance Committee and has previously served on CIMA’s Thought Leadership and Business Ethics Committee.

New Africa representatives appointed in strategic role:

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

• Chair: Mikateko Tshetshe, FCMA, CGMA – South Africa

Committee members:

• Brenda Mawele, ACMA, CGMA – Zambia
  
• Emelia Derkyi, ACMA, CGMA – Ghana
  
• Frank Agyare, ACMA, FCMA – Ghana
  
• Funmi Adesida, FCMA, CGMA – Nigeria
  
• Kudakwashe Brian Gaka, ACMA, CGMA – Zimbabwe
  
• Lawrence Amadi, ACMA, CGMA – Nigeria
  
• Manelisa Hlophe, CGMA Candidate – South Africa
  
• Mershack Letlhare, ACMA, CGMA – Botswana
  
• Rosemary Wambui Njogu, ACMA, CGMA – Kenya

Tariro Mutizwa, ACMA, CGMA, regional vice president – Africa at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, said:

“I am pleased to welcome these exceptional finance, accounting, and business professionals to the Africa Regional Engagement Group. Their commitment to advancing and promoting the accounting and finance profession and serve the Association’s governing board and CIMA Council in Africa is truly inspiring. I look forward to working with them to build a future-ready profession that powers trust, opportunity, and prosperity for people, businesses, and economies worldwide.”

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.