Celebrating 90 years

2009 marked CIMA's 90th anniversary.

See our 90th anniversary video and read about some of the institute's key milestones.

1919
The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants (ICWA) is founded to provide the information needed to plan and manage modern business. It has 37 members.

1922
The first female member is admitted.

1922
ICWA holds its first conference, to aid the development of scientific costing.

1972
The institute changes its name to the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (ICMA).

1975
ICMA is granted a Royal Charter.

1986
The institute changes its name to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), recognising the importance and commercial relevance of management accounting.

1990
22 percent of members and 30 percent of students now reside outside the UK.

1995
CIMA members are given the right to use the title Chartered Management Accountant.

2007
CIMA qualifies its 70,000th member. It becomes the first chartered accounting body to offer a global qualification in Islamic finance.

2008
CIMA establishes a centre for the study of management accounting with the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

2009
CIMA celebrates its ninetieth anniversary. It signs mutual recognition agreements with two of the world's leading accounting bodies, CMA Canada and CPA Australia, to promote the ever-increasing employability of its members around the world.