Accounting and finance professionals constantly seek ways to enhance their skills, expand their knowledge, and advance their careers.
Staying ahead of the curve is imperative, and finance professionals need technical expertise and adaptive leadership skills when navigating the complexities and intricacies of business.
The CGMA® Finance Leadership Program (CGMA FLP) offers a dynamic pathway for aspiring financial leaders like you to excel and attain the CGMA designation and CIMA® membership.
Conor Bradley, ACMA, CGMA, group accountant at Avolon, achieved the CGMA designation in 2022 through the CGMA FLP and shared his insights and experience, shedding light on the unique attributes and transformative impact of the CGMA FLP on his journey.
Bradley decided to pursue the CGMA designation to gain in-depth knowledge of accounting and finance and bolster his credibility with clients. ‘[The] CGMA designation has a really good reputation in the marketplace,’ Bradley said.
Through the CGMA FLP, Bradley gained a deeper understanding of financial statements, accounting standards, and the implications of reporting standards — a breadth of knowledge that proved invaluable in his role. ‘Being able to pick them up and decipher financial statements and understand exactly what they mean, I think, is really, really valuable,’ he said.
Leveraging flexibility
Pathways leading to the CGMA designation are grounded in the CGMA Competency Framework, encompassing nine subject areas. All pathways assess the same content and demand equal levels of proficiency and experience from candidates.
The CGMA FLP, one of the pathways to the CGMA designation, is delivered via our proprietary online learning and assessment platform. ‘Having all of the education on the one system is really, really handy,’ Bradley said.
Bradley was drawn to the CGMA FLP as a solution to the challenges he faced balancing work with exam preparation. The CGMA FLP offered a flexible approach to attaining the CGMA designation that aligned with his preferred learning style and work commitments.
‘It just ticked all the boxes for me to be able to have that continuous assessment approach and then prepare for the case study exam. It just made it a lot more manageable for me in terms of my client work and everything else that was going on,’ Bradley said.
Bradley’s journey was marked by steady progression facilitated by comprehensive resources and continuous assessment. He could focus on his studies, leveraging the flexibility of the CGMA FLP to maintain momentum and achieve his goals.
‘I think definitely the CGMA FLP accelerated my journey through CIMA. I think being able to get onto the FLP and continuously, every evening or every couple of evenings, set aside some time and make your way through the program and see the actual progress that you're making is really fantastic for me.’
Practical learning through real-world case studies
The CGMA FLP case studies provided practical experience in tackling real-world business challenges, enhancing Bradley's skill set and readiness for career advancement.
‘It's great to have that all in one place. And even in terms of client work, your day-to-day work, it's great to be able to just log in and quickly go to an area and find the information that you need for your actual day-to-day work as well,’ Bradley said.
‘I think the case studies are brilliant because they're quite realistic — very realistic, actually. And the problems that the business is facing, the challenges, are actually very similar to the ones that our clients are facing.’
Watch the full interview with Conor Bradley and find out more about the CGMA Finance Leadership Program.
