The CGMA Finance Leadership Program (FLP) is your online route to the Chartered Global Management Accountant® (CGMA) designation, a globally recognised marker of excellence.
Aisling Leamy began the FLP while she was working as a finance controller for Microsoft. Since completing the programme and earning the CGMA designation, she has been promoted to finance manager, working within the margin strategy and investment optimisation finance team.
Earning the designation allowed Aisling to progress in her career. Here are just three benefits of joining the FLP to earn the CGMA designation, according to Aisling.
1. Study when it suits you.
Aisling chose the FLP for several reasons, but perhaps the biggest was flexibility. She appreciated that she could fit studying into her schedule and not the other way around. For example, she focusses better in the mornings, so she decided to get up a little earlier and study before work.
‘Juggling a full-time job, study and your personal life is really difficult’, she said. ‘So having a little extra flexibility in how you structure your week made a huge difference for me.’
If you decide to complete the FLP while working full-time, Aisling recommends communicating with your manager about your needs and possibly finding a mentor who has completed the CGMA syllabus before.
‘If you can find a mentor, someone who is able to show you the bigger picture and help you get across the finish line, that always works really well I think’, she said.
2. Learn skills you can apply immediately.
Through the FLP, Aisling learned skills that she immediately put into practice on the job. She learned more about business investments, organisational risk, and data analysis — all of which have greatly aided her career development.
On the soft skills side, she developed her proficiency with leadership, communication, partnership and negotiation.
‘I would say that at some point in your career, you’ll use most of what you learn while earning the qualification’, she said. ‘It’s so valuable. It’s given me more confidence in my abilities as a finance manager. This is huge as someone who is early in their career.’
3. Unlock exciting new doors.
After completing her studies, submitting her practical experience requirements, and earning the CGMA designation, Aisling moved to a new team.
Her professional growth continued and led her to a new country.
Her current role in margin strategy and investment optimisation is within the cloud infrastructure finance team at Microsoft, where she develops new strategies for optimising costs. She says the role is extremely strategic, which is what she loves about it.
Aisling recommends the FLP to anyone who wants to excel in their career, in or outside of finance.
‘Having the [CGMA designation] is going to add huge value to your career, and this isn’t exclusive to finance’, she said. ‘I think CIMA opens doors to many different areas of business.’
Learn more about the CGMA Finance Leadership Program and start your journey towards earning the CGMA designation.
And hear more about Aisling’s career-changing experience by watching the full interview (runtime: 4:25 minutes).
