June FM: Accountability, deepfake fraud, CGMA PQ

Stephen Flatman, vice-president–Education & Professional Qualifications at the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, explains how the CGMA Professional Qualification (CGMA PQ) upgrade is designed to respond to the change of “shape” in the finance function and how those changes will propel businesses and expand opportunities for finance professionals. Flatman discusses disruptions to role requirements and career development opportunities in a competitive job market and the skills and competencies required for finance professionals to drive organisations forward and future-proof their careers. “I genuinely think we engineered the way we think about education, and that will transform the skills and competency acquisition of candidates going through the programme,” Flatman said. “We think that there's real growth in the strategic and analytical roles that we're preparing people for.” What you’ll learn from this episode: §  External factors driving talent development challenges for employers. §  Some ways the CGMA PQ is changing to meet the growing requirements of the finance function. §  What an evolving finance function means for students and members. §  How a business-partnering focus aims to expand future finance professionals’ skillsets. §  Essential skills to empower professionals across various roles and industries.

This episode features Oliver Rowe, FM’s editor-in-chief, detailing the contents of the magazine’s June digital edition. The discussion begins with a focus on the CGMA Professional Qualification’s May update. Rowe also details the key points of an article about accountability and discusses the magazine’s regular columns and features. The episode closes with an explanation of how members can access the June digital edition as well as the issue library. Previous 2025 episodes about the digital editions: n  February n  April What you’ll learn from this episode: ·         Highlights of an article about the CGMA Professional Qualification update. ·         Advice in an article about dealing with the growing threat of deepfake fraud. ·         A summary of the president’s column by Simon Bittlestone, FCMA, CGMA. ·         Details of one article’s focus on the social-return-on-investment framework. ·         An explanation of vertical and horizontal accountability and their relationship to the finance function.

This episode of the FM podcast is the continuation of an occasional series on the show called Beyond the Code. That means taking a detailed look at part of the CIMA Code of Ethics. Xose Lumor, manager–Advocacy and Professional Ethics, discusses details with Monique Samuel, associate manager–Professional Conduct, on how members can properly handle official complaints and what they should know about the process if a complaint moves forward. Resources mentioned in this episode include: n  A downloadable ethics checklist. n  CIMA Member in Practice Rules. n  A summary page on CIMA’s approach to potential sanctions. What you’ll learn from this episode: ·         An introduction of the topic and a refresher on the Beyond the Code series. ·         Why members in practice should maintain communication with a client that has raised an official complaint. ·         An explanation of resources, including an ethics checklist that can help members deal with ethical dilemmas. ·         Samuel’s summary of the process after an ethics complaint is referred to the Disciplinary Committee. ·         A reminder that such complaints are rare.