02 December 2005
At the CIMA Financial Management Awards 2005, in association with the Financial Times, the finest of the accountancy profession gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of CIMA business professionals, innovators, employers, tutors and consultants who have achieved outstanding success during 2005.
The award ceremony, held at the Waldorf Hilton, London, on 1 December was hosted by comedian Fred MacAulay and awarded those who have been instrumental in developing the finance profession and the organisations that operate within it.
Ian Christison, CIMA President, said: "Time and again we are hearing from independent sources that CIMA is playing an increasingly dominant role in shaping the accountancy profession. These awards have been a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our members and students, and the employers, academics and consultants who play such an important role in CIMA's success.'
The following awards were presented:
Tutor of the year Sponsored by PQ Magazine
Achieving success as a student and then as a CIMA member relies on the right training. This award celebrates those who go out of their way to inspire and guide the next generation of management accountants.
Winner
Gary Leyshon, FTC (Reading)
Gary Leyshon impressed the judges with his willingness to work beyond his job description and offer help to students outside of course hours. As a true mentor, he sees his role as far more than getting students through an exam, although the excellent results demonstrate that he does that remarkably as well. In May 2005, his P6 students achieved 23% above the CIMA national average.
Highly commended
K.W.S. Fernando, Academy of Business Studies in Sri Lanka
Nicola Colman, BPP Professional Education, Nottingham
K W S Fernando demonstrated work beyond the traditional tutor's role, employing varied and novel teaching techniques. He goes the extra mile to help his students achieve success. His effectiveness is evident by the prize winners that he has helped to produce with a World Prize winner and, in 1997, one of the world's top three foundation level students.
Nicola Colman provided positive evidence of her students' pass rates which demonstrated the inspirational effect that her teaching methods have had. Students spoke highly of her ability to break down complex ideas with interesting and witty explanations.
Part Qualified of the year Sponsored by Joslin Rowe
This award recognizes tomorrow's business leaders, those who have achieved excellent results and demonstrated creativity, sound financial skills and good planning and management.
Winner
Cornelia Dibua, Royal Dutch Shell plc
Cornelia Dibua, from London, oversaw the development of a Records Management System/IT Tool used by over 4,000 finance staff across the organisation as well as Group Auditors. The judges commented on the methodical manner with which she approached the project, demonstrating the project management skills that are so important for a CIMA member. Her initiative and IT proficiency created a system that will contribute to enhancing the process of reporting financial results.
Highly commended
Sam Garrett, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust
The judges highly commended Sam Garrett from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire for her ability to maintain strong enthusiasm during a period of tremendous organisational change in a social care environment.
Finance Team of the year Sponsored by Marks Sattin
This award recognizes a team of management accountants who best demonstrate how good financial management can drive the business forward.
Winner
Royal Dutch Shell plc
Royal Dutch Shell plc impressed the judges with the high quality of their work during what has been a very busy year for the function with the merger of two parent companies. Working as a cohesive unit, the team rose to the challenge to deliver against demanding targets.
Highly commended
British American Tobacco Polska SA
Tesco Stores Ltd
British American Tobacco has achieved great results in a short time by taking a holistic approach and adopting an impressive communication strategy.
Tesco provided an excellent example of a new business venture that had to integrate effectively with better established areas of the business. A letter was submitted from the Chief Executive in support of their nomination and the glowing report that he provided ensured that this team stood out a head and shoulders from many of the other contenders.
Recruitment Consultancy of the year Sponsored by PASS Magazine
CIMA recognises the important role that agencies play in understanding the relevance of the CIMA qualification to business and helping to put the right people in the right place to the benefit of both candidates and employers.
Winner
Robert Half Finance & Accounting
Robert Half Finance & Accounting are the world's first and largest recruitment consultancy specialising in the placement of accounting and finance professionals. They have seen a 33% increase in the number of registered CIMA candidates since 2003 and the judges were impressed with the focus they have placed on CIMA candidates through career profile days.
Financial Management Readers' Award for Innovative Software Solution of the year
This award was independently voted for by readers of Financial Management magazine rather than by the CIMA panel of judges.
The award gave readers of Financial Management magazine the opportunity to have their say and vote for their top software solution of the past year.
Winner
Aspiren's Aspireview tool
The winner of this award is a flexible performance management tool which links to organisations' existing IT systems to automate data capture and allow performance information and trend analysis to be effectively presented using a range of sophisticated dashboards. It demonstrates the potential for driving significant enhancements in performance and the creation of a continuous improvement culture.
International Charitable Development Award
This award goes to the CIMA member or firm who has used their professional skills to make the greatest contribution to international development or humanitarian relief, maximising the often limited resources that are available in this field.
Winner
Dougal Freeman, Liverpool School of Tropical Health
Dougal Freeman was employed by the world-renowned Liverpool School of Tropical Health to review and restructure information systems to bring a commercial edge to the organisation. He demonstrated flexibility and competence in making cost reductions with the potential for significant savings that allow groundbreaking work in the treatment of tropical medicine and international health to continue to the benefit of millions of people worldwide.
Public Sector Finance Team of the year Sponsored by Insight
The Public Sector Finance Team award is the opportunity for public sector finance teams, whether large or small to achieve recognition. CIMA members play an increasingly vital role in this sector, in fact CIMA is now the largest single provider of accountancy qualifications in the public sector. Whether they have dramatically improved the service offered to internal managers, or implemented an activity-based budgeting process, this award celebrates the achievements of the team that has worked hard and demonstrated how good financial management can drive successful business.
Winner
HM Revenue & Customs
HM Revenue & Customs overcame a huge challenge in the joining of two separate cultures to shape a new, modern finance function. The project was delivered on time and within the challenge of a rapidly changing environment.
Highly commended
London Borough of Lambeth
Metropolitan Police Service
In restructuring their 'procure to pay' processes, London Borough of Lambeth displayed dynamism hard to beat. They stood out to the judges because the first pitch by the project team was rejected and yet they rose above that to turn opinions and achieve buy-in.
The judges were impressed with the way that the Metropolitan Police Service coped with big news issues in such a difficult area of work. Against a backdrop of radical reform, the Costing and Costs Recovery Team is making a huge contribution to improving the Metropolitan Police Services's financial position. Sir John Stevens, former Commissioner Metropolitan Police Service, provided a statement of pride in their achievements stating that they are a real credit to the organisation.
Financial Business Leader of the year Sponsored by FTC
This award honours the CIMA member who has shown the skills and leadership qualities to make a significant difference to the success of their organisation.
Winner
Paula Downey, The Bromley by Bow Centre
Paula Downey, from Buckinghamshire, is the Director of Finance and Fundraising at The Bromley by Bow Centre, a registered charity. She recruited a new, dynamic team, dealt with a potentially fatal cash flow crisis and delivered a profitable business plan within an extremely tight deadline in order to create a new sustainable future for the organisation. The judges appreciated the way that she overcame huge obstacles single-handedly with limited resource.
Employer of the year Sponsored by Hays Accountancy & Finance
This award recognises the support and commitment of employers to their CIMA trainees.
Winner
Citigroup
Citigroup has seen the number of CIMA students that it supports almost double in 2005. They are a CIMA Training Quality Partner, providing CPD guidance and a comprehensive training programme and the judges felt that in an area of true excellence, they are doing that much more than the competition.
Highly commended
National Health Service Financial Management Training Scheme, part of The Institute for Innovation and Improvement, and the NHS Finance Staff Development Network.
WNS Customer Solutions
The NHS was voted 7th in the Times High Flyer Survey of best employers as voted by final year under-graduates and more than 90% of the staff coming through the Financial Management Training Scheme are opting for CIMA.
WNS Customer Solutions has partnered with the UK's largest insurance firm to set up Sri Lanka's first Finance and Accounting Centre of Excellence. The judges liked the organisation's emphasis on encouraging a work/life balance.
Lifetime Contribution to Management Accounting Sponsored by FSS
This award is for the person who understands the benefits that management accountancy can bring to their organisation and who has made a visible difference to the bottom line.
Winner
Rudy Markham, Chief Financial Officer, Unilever plc
Rudy Markham, Chief Financial Officer, Unilever plc is a role model to all CIMA members and students demonstrating that the CIMA qualification is the passport to a career in senior management. He has been an exemplary management accountant at the heart of a sales and marketing led business, having spent the majority of his career in senior strategy, operations and technology roles, rather than finance.
Since his career began as a commercial management trainee at Unilever in 1968, Rudy has worked his way through the ranks to his present role as CFO of an organisation that spans 150 countries with a turnover of over 48 billion US dollars.
- ENDS -
For further information and photographs, please contact:
Lottie Muir
Press & PR Manager, CIMA
020 8849 2407
Lottie.muir@cimaglobal.com
Claire Grewer
Press Officer, CIMA
020 8849 2300
Claire.grewer@cimaglobal.com
Steven Hilton
Press Officer, CIMA
020 8849 2427
Steven.hilton@cimaglobal.com
Notes to editors
- CIMA (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) is the only international accountancy body with a sole focus on business. It is a world leading professional institute that offers an internationally recognised qualification in management accountancy, focusing on accounting in business, in both the private and public sectors. CIMA is the voice of over 85,000 students and 65,000 members in 158 countries and is responsible for the education and training of management accountants who work in industry, commerce and not-for-profit and has more members in the public sector than any other UK based body. CIMA prides itself on the commercial relevance of its syllabus, which is in tune with the activities of high performance organisations, and evolves continually to reflect the latest developments in global business. It is committed to upholding the highest ethical and professional standards of members and students, and to maintaining public confidence in management accountancy. For more information about CIMA, please visit http://www.cimaglobal.com/
02 December 2005051202