IMA Student Leadership Conference in Kochi focused on Engaging Gen Z in the Future of Finance

Kochi, July 28, 2022, – IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants), the association of accountants and financial professionals in business, recently concluded a Student Leadership Conference (SLC) in Kochi. More than 300 students and faculty members from 30 different colleges and institutes across India participated in the event. Themed ‘Reimagine, Rethink, Reinvent for this year was, the conference focused on Gen Z – who are quickly dominating many industries as they become the workforce of the future. The event’s focus was to recognize how the Gen Z culture would affect and change the Financial Services Industry as well as how these aspiring professionals may better prepare for the world ahead.

Hanadi Khalife, Senior Director, Middle East, Africa and India Operations at IMA said: “Students attaining their education today are truly the future of the professional workforce and it is imperative that we empower them for what is to come. Through certification programs like the US CMA (Certified Management Accountant), students are better prepared to deal with the future world of business that is constantly being challenged by global economic circumstances while at the same time being improved by technology. Surely, this comes with a tremendous demand on talent capabilities and skill sets that do not necessarily exist yet, thus we strongly believe that setting students on a lifelong learning path from now is the best way to prepare them for the now and for the future. Our work with existing and future finance and accounting professionals has seen place tremendous value on initiatives such as the Student Leadership Conference, which is reaching more than 300 students globally. Because ultimately, it is through such types of collaborations between the education, business, and private sectors that we are able to truly educate, develop, and prepare a diverse workforce for accounting and finance professionals, marking a significant impact on the profession.

At the conference, the speakers discussed about the skills accounting and finance professionals need and how they can acquire competencies such as business acumen, leadership, forecasting, communication, management and, of course, new technology.

Speaking about the conference, Tom Joseph, Executive Director of strategy and development, ISDC said, “Students, especially Gen Z, signed up to learn about the role that recruiters play on the path to becoming a CFO, and what kind of skill set they look for when selecting talent. The panel discussion was a fascinating inside look at the recruiting process with plenty of advice for aspiring CFOs from creating resumes and learning new skills to building capacity while on the job.”

Utham Pai, Senior Manager, Miles Education said, “The focus of the panel discussion was about the different ways companies prioritize CFO candidates with the necessary financial, analytical, and strategic skills. We also discussed about various skills companies look for in a post-pandemic CFO, and how executive search has evolved to meet those needs.”

The conference was organized in collaboration with ISDC and Miles Education (platinum sponsors) along with Logic School of Management and Chanakya Business School (gold sponsors).