Turn finance expertise into business influence

Candy Law, CPA, ACMA, CGMA, wanted more from her accounting career than simply “closing the books.” She wanted to become more involved in business decision-making.

“I am always curious on the commercial impact of each action, which usually stem from numbers, and how to make things better,” said Candy, the head of finance for the Asia-Pacific region at a food and beverage company. “I wanted a qualification that would train me to think like a business partner and strategist, not just an accountant.”

To reach that goal, she completed a qualification that developed the strategic, commercial, and leadership capabilities needed to create greater impact at her organisation.

Candy’s not alone in her pursuit of more — many finance professionals want to move beyond producing numbers and reports and transition into roles where they can influence business strategy and decision-making.

Strategic thinking, business partnering, and commercial awareness are becoming essential skills for finance and accounting professionals, and the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA®) qualification develops these competencies.

“The syllabus goes far beyond debits and credits into areas like strategic analysis, risk management, and performance management, exactly what you need when you are helping to decide whether to open in a new country, renegotiate a concession, or invest in a digital ordering platform,” said Candy.

Creating value beyond numbers

Modern finance careers extend beyond technical accounting. Today’s professionals advise, analyse, influence, assess risks, model, forecast, and so much more. Organisations want finance business partners — professionals who can work with various teams and stakeholders to guide business strategy and create more value.

Candy saw the need to become a finance business partner. The realisation came to her as she built a model to forecast future profitability — her communication skills weren’t as strong as her ability to build the model.

“I could build the model, but I felt I needed a more robust framework to talk about cost behaviour, sensitivity, and risk with nonfinance stakeholders,” said Candy. “That was when I decided I needed a structured, globally recognised qualification that would sharpen my thinking and give me a common language with business leaders.”

Candy now leans on her financial background to influence high-level decisions as the regional head of finance at SSP Group in Hong Kong. She supports market expansions, merger and acquisition activities, and digital transformation.

With her expanded skills, thanks to the CGMA qualification, she has what’s needed to create greater impact within any organisation.

Connecting numbers to decisions that matter

Finance touches every aspect of a business, turning everyday decisions into moments for growth, efficiency, and long-term value. The ability to translate financial data into actionable insights is what showcases management accountants.

When finance professionals connect numbers to outcomes, they become catalysts for better decisions across the entire business. The true value of financial impact emerges when it drives measurable actions and results.

“When I work with auditors, bankers or potential joint venture partners — often across multiple jurisdictions in Asia — the CGMA qualification is an internationally recognised shorthand for my training and professional standards,” said Candy. “Most importantly, CGMA has reinforced my mindset of being a proactive problem-solver who connects the dots and sees the story behind the numbers.”

Where technical expertise meets business influence

The right programme equips professionals with the technical expertise needed to turn complex financial information into confident business decisions.

As Candy studied for her CGMA qualification, she could apply what she was learning directly into her daily workflow — and that’s by the programme’s design. What’s learnt improves projects, processes, and outputs in real time.

If your ambition is to be a finance professional who shapes decisions, then see CIMA and the CGMA qualification as a toolkit to build that career, said Candy.

Behind every big business decision lies a financial story, and the finance professionals who can tell those stories will become their organisation’s most valuable assets.

Ready to move from numbers producer to trusted business partner? Get the latest insights and research from CIMA members on how to build your career as a management accountant. Connect with more first-person stories, insights into accounting roles, guidance on building in-demand skills, and so much more.

The skills that turn accountants into strategic leaders

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Creating value beyond numbers

Connecting numbers to decisions that matter

Where technical expertise meets business influence

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