IMA President and CEO to Retire in Early 2023

– IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) announced today that Jeff Thomson, CMA, CSCA, CAE, the organization’s president and CEO, will retire in early 2023. Thomson’s decision comes following an impressive, nearly 15-year tenure of leading the organization at a time of transformation and record growth. Under Thomson’s leadership, IMA more than doubled its membership and the number of professionals holding the CMA® (Certified Management Accountant) certification, while expanding globally in reach, reputation, and relevance. Today, IMA serves about 140,000 members in 150 countries through 12 global offices, 350 chapters, and more than 200 staff.

“Jeff is commended for his leadership during a turnaround period, marked by a shift in IMA’s strategic direction, a mission to strengthen the profession through certification and continuing education, and meeting the needs of professionals in emerging markets around the world,” said Gwen van Berne, CMA, IMA Chair. “He has always been committed to telling the story of our proud profession, one where we make a difference for careers, organizations, and society at large.”

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Thomson joined IMA in 2005 as Vice President of Research, where he built IMA’s research and thought leadership practice to ensure that the organization made meaningful contributions to the professional body of knowledge, more recently including emerging issues related to technology and data analytics; sustainable business management; and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). Thomson has authored numerous articles and a book, and provided testimony to the U.S. Congress in the areas of risk management, internal controls, and corporate governance. With a strong belief in partnerships, he personally represented IMA on the boards of numerous collaborative organizations, including COSO (Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission), IFAC (International Federation of Accountants), and IIRC (International Integrated Reporting Council).

Thomson has consistently been named in Accounting Today’s “Top 100 Most Influential People List,” has been honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Trust Across America, and was named among NJBIZ’s Power 50 in Accounting list. Under his leadership, IMA also won numerous industry awards, including top workplace and professional body of the year.

“It has been my honor to serve IMA and my profession at an exciting time in IMA’s history. I’ve been privileged to have the opportunity to positively influence the careers of new and seasoned professionals and students, as well as advance best practices in business,” said Thomson. “Best of all, I had the opportunity to work alongside our volunteers who are truly the heart and soul of IMA, my incredible staff who engineered a remarkable turnaround with a focus on our members and delivering value, and a prestigious list of partners and colleagues. Together, we helped advance this proud and exciting profession during an era of uncertainty and disruption.”

Prior to joining IMA, Thomson worked at AT&T for more than two decades, where he started out as a data scientist decades before the job title was popularized in the industry. During his tenure at AT&T, he served in various financial, strategic, and operational roles. This includes serving as the business partner CFO for an $18 billion business unit. After retiring from AT&T, he spent three years as a proud mathematics teacher at a local high school. Thomson has been married for 42 years to Harriett and is looking forward to spending more time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.