IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

Jesmin Ehsan, Photo: Prabir Das

Jesmin Ehsan is yet another young professional working in Dhaka who has completed the strategic level of CIMA, becoming the top scorer in Malaysia for 6 papers, including all 3 papers in the strategic level. "In pursuit of a career in finance, I joined Ericsson in 2007," says Jesmin, the Chief Financial Officer of LM Ericsson Bangladesh Limited. "My then manager emphasised the importance of enhancing knowledge and skills through a professional qualification in finance & accounting. He was the first person to tell me about CIMA." 
Having completed an MBA from IBA, Dhaka University, Jesmin believs that CIMA is a necessity for professional progress. "CIMA is a global qualification. So it is quite exclusive," says Jesmin. "In Bangladesh CIMA is considered as a highly demanding qualification and rightly so.

This perception also adds to the uniqueness of CIMA. So having a CIMA qualification is, in fact, an achievement. CIMA curriculum is greatly aligned with the needs of the corporates. It is thus, very useful for career advancement when utilized, complementing the organizational requirements."

There are various steps to be taken by companies in order to encourage employees to take up CIMA. "First of all, corporates should highlight the importance of continuous learning in all aspects of the industry ranging from strategy to operations," she says. "Within that, corporates should identify a specific skillset that are enhanced and complemented by professional qualification such as CIMA. Corporates also need to ensure that CIMA qualification is backed up by incentive and is utilised within the job scope. So for corporates, it's important to identify the right people to be certified and rewarded complementing strategic business needs."