CIMA celebrates its 70,000th member

16 February 2007

Rakesh Patel, a thirty-six year old senior manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP has been named the 70,000th Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) member.

John Coghlan, CIMA President said:

'Reaching the 70,000th mark is a marvellous achievement for CIMA and demonstrates the continuing high demand for qualified CIMA management accountants in business. Employers increasingly look to CIMA as their preferred choice, making it a very attractive qualification for students wanting to pursue a career in financial management. CIMA is a growing international body and the increasing membership numbers reflect the importance of the qualification to employers around the world.'

Rakesh, who has been working at Deloitte & Touche LLP since 2002, is in the Forensic & Dispute Services section and responsible for managing a wide range of forensic accounting projects for clients, including assessment of financial damages and fraud investigations.

On being named the 70,000th member he commented:

'I chose CIMA because it is more than just an accounting qualification; it is also a business qualification. The format and structure is flexible which suited my circumstances and enabled me to balance my work commitments with studying.

'Unlike the majority of CIMA students I decided to study for the qualification after working for over ten years and it has provided me with the opportunity to learn about the underlying theory behind the practical experience. I really feel it has enhanced and broadened my financial management and business skills.'

In November 2006, eight CIMA members were among those ranked as the key movers and shakers in The Times Power 100 list, only serving to highlight the achievements and influence CIMA members make to business.

-ENDS-

Photographs available.

For further information, please contact:

Claire Grewer
Press Officer, CIMA
+44 (0) 20 8849 2300
claire.grewer@cimaglobal.com

Notes to editors

1. 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 158,000 members and students in 161 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 www.cimaglobal.com