31 July 2007
CIMA Sri Lanka has launched a new initiative focused on driving value for employers, the CIMA Corporate Partner Programme. Launched at the Trans Asia Hotel, Colombo, the CIMA Corporate Partner Programme is designed to promote recognition of the CIMA qualification as a corporate benchmark and further establish affinities with leading corporate organisations.
CIMA has successfully united with 19 leading local and multi-national organisations as CIMA Corporate Partners for the year 2007/2008. An annual programme, each year CIMA Sri Lanka will carefully select prospective partners to ensure that associations are formed solely with those organisations who share similar corporate values, commitment to good governance and ethical practices. Above all, partner organisations fully recognise the value of the CIMA professional qualification in the workplace.
In addition, CIMA envisions that these partnerships will facilitate dialogue on a wide range of contemporary issues affecting business, thereby enhancing both the CIMA professional qualification in Sri Lanka and, more widely the Sri Lankan business arena.
Speaking at the launch of the programme, Aruna Fernando, President of CIMA Sri Lanka Division said,
'The Corporate Partner Programme is a first for the institute and I am very proud that the Sri Lanka Division is launching this initiative for CIMA. This concept has stemmed purely from the efforts of the Sri Lanka Division staff and aligns perfectly with the employer strategy laid out during our AGM in June.
'CIMA has always worked closely with employers and the key benefit of the Corporate Partner Programme is that it will further strengthen long established relationships whilst generating new ones. The Corporate Partner Programme quite clearly demonstrates that CIMA is responsive to the needs of businesses and is the financial qualification most aligned to today's business requirements.'
Chief Guest at the launch was Rick Sturge, CIMA's Director of Employer and Strategic Development, who is responsible for driving CIMA's global employer strategy and recruitment of students internationally. He is on his first visit to the Sri Lanka Division since joining CIMA from Accenture in November 2006, and speaking at the launch commented:
'I am delighted to be invited to the launch of the Corporate Partner Programme in Sri Lanka. Working closely with leading multinationals is a key driver for CIMA worldwide and central to ensuring CIMA is the first choice for employers. CIMA has pledged renewed emphasis on employer relations and the Sri Lanka Corporate Partner Programme is a key initiative in this direction which I hope will be emulated throughout the institute.'
It is further hoped that the Corporate Partner Programme will help foster an environment of mutual cooperation and discourse between individual partners, thus enhancing communication within the Sri Lankan business community, as well as with CIMA members and students. To aid this process all Corporate Partners will have branding at CIMA events and there will be a board displaying each partner's logo permanently on display at the Division's Colombo and Kandy offices.
Bradley Emerson, Chief Executive Officer of CIMA Sri Lanka, commented
'Sri Lanka has traditionally been a supply market for CIMA in that we have predominantly dealt with students and members directly, rather than worked closely with employers. We are now clearly focused on delivering CIMA's employer strategy, and as part of this need to ensure that we are joining hands with the right partners. The companies we have secured are all from the top flight, and we are indeed proud to have put together an elite league which will bring value to all its members.'
For a full list of all CIMA Corporate Partners and further details on the CIMA Corporate Partner Programme please visit the dedicated Corporate Partner website at: www.cimaglobal.com/corporatepartner.
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For more information, please contact:
Jenita Foenander
Executive - Marketing & Promotions
CIMA Sri Lanka Division
Tel: 94 11 2503880 Ext. 225, Fax: 94 11 2503881
E-mail: Jenita.Foenander@cimaglobal.com
Notes to editors
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 recognized qualification in management accountancy, focusing on accounting in business, in both the private and public sectors. It is the fastest growing UK based accountancy body, in terms of members, in both the UK and worldwide and is the voice of over 87,000 students and 68,000 members in 158 countries. In Sri Lanka alone, there are more than 1700 members working in a variety of fields both in the private and public sector. CIMA students in Sri Lanka number more than 12,000.
2. 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
31 July 2007070731