Download What makes CIMA professionals stand out from the crowd?

What makes CIMA professionals stand out from the crowd? - Mark Bevan,
JCB, UK
Briefly explain your role and what it involves?
My role is Senior Financial Controller, Commercial Operations for JCB. I am responsible for the
oversight of the finance function for the Commercial Operations which includes Sales and Sales
Subsidiaries, Group Research, Worldwide Aftermarket and some overseas operations
What made you want to become a management accountant?
I had been studying chemistry and I was looking for a different career path. During the recession my
father was looking for some help, predominantly on the finance side and at that time I realised that
was something I wanted to do but didn’t know about qualifications. I met up with a friend who was a
trainee CIMA accountant and he suggested if I was interested in taking it further then CIMA was the
qualification to move into. When I looked at the work I wanted to do which was in industry and
manufacturing and looked at the management and finance side of a business, it fitted. So it was a
moment of “yes everything is in line and it makes sense”.
In your opinion how have you benefited from working within CIMA’s regulations?
At the beginning they provide structure for you to be moulded; they give you the DNA of what you
should be. The regulations also give you a framework; guiding principles on how you should work
and how you can operate as a professional. They give you a lot of guidance in terms of how you
should conduct yourself and they act giving you a mandate to operate. As a CIMA trained accountant
continuing professional development is part of the DNA.
What does being Chartered mean to you / to the public?
I am not really sure what the Chartered status means for the public as I am not in practice, but for
me it gave me credibility and confidence in the early part of my career and for myself. It means I
have an organisation to call on should I need to and a resource to draw on when required. It means I
am able to network with like minded people and when I am working elsewhere in the world I have
the recognised professional credentials. Having Chartered status also means being respected, in
India to be a Chartered member of CIMA was certainly something people respected.
What stands out for you as the most important aspect of being a CIMA professional?
This changes with time and experience and if not careful can lead to low importance if CIMA doesn't
remain relevant to the life cycle of a member. Early in this life cycle CIMA was my educator, social
club and mentor, as I gained confidence through work and gaining the qualification it meant
networking with similar professionals, gave me a status to progress my job roles and continued to be
important to my development as a management accountant. As I get into my mid career the
importance of being a CIMA professional becomes more about maintenance of skills, giving back in
terms of training others and supporting members where I can. This could be donating to the CIMA
Benevolent Fund annually or giving up your own time to support students attempting the CIMA
Global Business Case Study. The network is there should I require it and it also means access to
research papers and knowledge that otherwise would be difficult to obtain.