Certified Management Accountant - United Kingdom & Europe

United Kingdom & Europe

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is a United Kingdom-based professional body offering training and qualification in management accountancy and related subjects, focused on accounting for business; together with ongoing support for members.

CIMA is one of a number of professional associations for accountants in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Its particular emphasis is on developing the management accounting profession within the UK and worldwide. CIMA is the world's largest and leading professional body of management accountants, with 172,000 members and students in over 165 countries.

CIMA was founded in 1919 as "The Institute of Cost and Works Accountants" (ICWA). It specialised in the development of accounting techniques for use in the internal control of manufacturing, service and public sector operations. It developed a position as the leading professional body in the areas of product costing, budgeting, management accounting, investment appraisal and business decision making.

In October 1944 the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants organisation in Ireland was formed.

The institute changed its name from ICWA to the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants (ICMA) in 1972 and subsequently to the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in 1986, after the granting of a Royal Charter. A global Accounting qualification based in the UK, which is particularly active in Commonwealth countries. Its membership has grown from 15,000 in 1970 to 79,757 members and 92,909 students in 2009.

The CIMA is a founding member of the International Federation of Accountants.