'The more we all put into our membership the more we take out'.

AuthorBabber, Gulzari
PositionA word from the president - Institute of Cost Accountants of India - Conference notes

During my recent trip to India, I had the privilege of attending the 54th annual conference of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI). This was a first for me, but CIMA's relationship with the ICAI is well established. The ICAI president, Shri Rakesh Singh, declared that CIMA is its sister institute, its big sister, and would like us to share our knowledge with it and its colleagues in Pakistan and Bangladesh. This sentiment was underlined by the fact that CIMA was given top billing as "knowledge partners" and we were feted as honoured guests. It was a humbling experience.

The conference had some excellent speakers, but what I enjoyed most was the sense of community and mutual support.

As I know all too well, this goes a long way when you are struggling to get your career going. My journey to become CIMA president was far from easy and without the support of my family, the institute and fellow members, it would have been impossible.

During my ICAI conference speech I wanted to inspire those who are feeling the pressure of work and their CIMA studies by using myself as an example. Like many others, I had to work hard on a meagre wage to feed a young family. I studied the CIMA syllabus in the small hours of the morning and, on more than one occasion, had to re-sit exams. This determination evidently struck a chord with the audience.

But the point I would like to make is that we can all inspire each other. The input of CIMA members is absolutely vital in making the institute even better than it is already. Our research and thought leadership material supports CIMA's position as the leading body for management accountancy.

The ICAI is keen to have access to this material, but there is much we can learn from our friends in India. Its members' enormous enthusiasm for knowledge and learning was inspiring. Despite the expense and vast distances, more than 500 people travelled many miles to attend the two-day conference.

I was fortunate to be involved in a vibrant ICAI event and the...

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