Are you the Future CFO of the Year?
We're searching UK universities to find the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Year. We're looking for commercially minded, entrepreneurial students who aspire to a career with impact.
Announcing the 2021 finalists
Win
A fully sponsored study package to qualify with CIMA, a personally matched CFO mentor from the CIMA CFO Forum and access to high-profile events throughout the year.
Finalists
We are delighted to introduce the 2021 finalists for this award.
Alan Potts | Manchester Metropolitan University | Accounting & Finance
Alistair Tait | University of Edinburgh | Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science
Arif Wani | University of Oxford | Human Sciences
Charlotte Johns | University of Bath | Mathematics
Christopher Dy | University of East Anglia | Economics with a Year Abroad
Emilia Dobrzanska | Royal Holloway, University of London | Financial and Business Economics
Freddie Barnes | University of Bath | Business Administration
Jamie Kopelowitz | Durham University | Economics
Oliver Bailey | University of Bath | Management
Parnita Agarwal | University of Manchester | Management
To enter you must:
- be an undergraduate student at a university in the UK
- have an interest in business and finance as a future career
What makes an award winner?
Our winner will be a business and finance savvy student who possesses a variety of skills and personal qualities that will help them become a future business leader. This includes:
- a commercial mind and entrepreneurial spirit
- an interest in how finance adds value to a business
- good ethics, integrity and morals
- high aspirations and the desire to make an impact on your life and others
- creativity, communication skills and a high level of digital literacy
- a growth mindset
How do I win?
Register
Register your details online and answer two questions posed by CIMA.
Must be completed by 01.02.21
Online tests
Receive an email inviting you to sit four online tests designed exclusively by our partners SHL.
Must be completed by 01.02.21
Submit by 01.02.21
Your details must be submitted and all online tests completed by 1 February 2021.
If you are successful in getting through to the next stage, you will hear from us by 26 February 2021.
Assessment centre
If you pass the online tests and successfully make it to the next stage your application will be reviewed by CIMA.
This stage will involve the CIMA business challenge, presenting on a business scenario to a panel of CFOs.
Grand final
The final shortlist of ten students will be invited to the awards ceremony on 30 April 2021, where the award winners will be announced!
CIMA and the Future CFO of the Year Award
We’re CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. We’re proud to be the largest and most influential body of management accountants in the world. As part of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA & CIMA), we’re home to over 657,000 students and members spread across 179 countries and territories around the globe.
You’ll find CIMA members in all kinds of organisations: big and small, public and private. There’s no one industry or role that management accountants work in. In fact, 225,000 organisations worldwide employ someone with the CIMA qualification.
Our size and global reach means we’re able to lead the way in defining the future of the finance and accounting profession. And we make sure our students and members are involved every step of the way, equipped with the latest knowledge and skills needed to future-proof their careers and the organisations they work for.
Why are we partnering this award?
CIMA is for the commercially minded – the strategists, the ones with ideas and determination, who can see alternative ways to do things. And our qualification will empower you to bring finance into the digital age.
We’re about more than financial accounting. Of course, our students learn the technical skills they’ll need to succeed as a finance professional. But they also learn the digital skills they need to be future-ready. They master the business skills they need to make an impact in and beyond the finance function. They develop the people and leadership skills that are vital to excel in business. They learn to always act with integrity and objectivity.
In other words, the CIMA qualification teaches all the skills and qualities that a great CFO needs.
We love to see our members making an impact at every stage of their career – especially as CFOs make the leap from navigators for the business to true co-pilots, working alongside the CEO to drive business performance and growth.
We’re honoured to support this year’s Future CFO of the Year Award and can’t wait to help discover the financial leaders of the future. See yourself with leadership potential? Someone who’s brave enough to try new things and seize opportunities? Sounds like we’re a great fit.
To find out more about how studying CIMA gives you the opportunity to make an impact, visit myfuture.cimaglobal.com.
What is the CIMA CFO forum?
The CIMA CFO Forum is a high-level community group formed and attended by senior finance business leaders from across the UK and from many different sectors in business. This provides a great opportunity for you to benefit from the guidance, mentorship and knowledge from a current CFO, who will support you on your career journey.
Videos
Hear from previous winners and finalists
Chwas Rostam
Business Management, University of Surrey
Finalist of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2020
I would most definitely encourage as many people as possible to apply for this award since the benefits of doing so are completely unmatched.
Read the blog
Charlie Francis
Accounting and finance, University of Bath
Winner of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2018
When my name was first read out, I was in disbelief. It hadn’t even crossed my mind that I could be in with a chance of winning, so walking up to the stage was certainly a surreal experience.
Read the blog Charlie Nightingale
Economics, University of Leeds
Finalist of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2018
To sum up, I can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t apply to this competition. To a certain extent, I am proof of why ‘I didn’t think I’d make it very far’ is a poor excuse for not applying. If you’re sat there with such thoughts, just take the plunge – you really don’t know how it will end up.
Read the blog Ryan Makuku
Accounting and finance, University of Birmingham
Finalist of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2018
Despite not winning the actual award, I truly believe I was still a winner. The opportunity to network and rub shoulders with such talented people reminded me that I could honestly do great things in life if I put my head down and grafted at it. To anyone having any doubts about applying, my top advice would be ‘what have you honestly got to lose?!’.
Read the blog Ekaterina Christova
Economics, University of Cambridge
Winner of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2017
By taking part, I met exceptional people and made a massive difference to my future. It is definitely worth the application. However far you get, you will get something out of it. Whether it is new friends, business contacts, application experience or just some more knowledge, it is worth it. My advice would be to seize every opportunity and just go for it!
Read the blog Martin Li
Economics, University of Warwick
Finalist of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2016
My advice is clear: apply! I walked away so proud of myself – I knew I didn’t let myself down and couldn’t have done much better – so there is nothing to lose. Be yourself and utilise every opportunity in life to make yourself stand out – and this is one of the best ones to take!
Read the blog Molly Ashton
Finance, accounting and management, University of Nottingham
Winner of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed the trip to Brussels: understanding more about the EU parliament and what ACCA's role is in the city was really interesting. It was strange to go from ACCA's huge London HQ to an office of two members in Brussels who work more closely with the parliament and commission to understand policies. The trip has helped me understand how diverse ACCA's role is across the world and has definitely intrigued me to find out more in the future!
Read the blog Laura Mckechnie
Marketing and finance, University of Strathclyde
Finalist of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2015
If you have read this and are thinking of applying this year, my advice would be to go for it! Even if you are having doubts, just think – what’s the worst that can happen?
Read the blog Daniel Tascon
Accounting and finance, University of London
Finalist of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2015
In the end I did not win the award; however, the experience was worth it and applying to the award helped me gain confidence in my abilities as well as learn a lot!
Read the blog Aataullah Naser
Masters of mathematics, University of Manchester
Winner of the Future Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Award, 2015
If there is even a small part of you that believes you can become an Undergraduate of the Year I would insist you apply. Not only is it amazing recognition, but you will get to take part in so many things that could have a lasting impact on your future. I never imagined I would be winning an award when I applied, but I also never imagined the opportunities that would come my way having done so. It has been a fantastic half year since I won, and I only hope the opportunities to learn and develop more keep coming my way!
Read the blog