President's Message

It's good to be back in 2023 with a bigger and a super talented team that takes charge of the Bangalore chapter.
 
2023 has been a good year so far. We have achievements, events and initiatives to share. Two leaders from the chapter won global awards this year.
 
Shreyanse Jain, the treasurer of the chapter was awarded the IMA champion award and I won the R. Lee Brummet Exemplary Educator award.
 
"Volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they just have the heart. " The chapter bagging two awards is indeed a good benchmark and also an indication of the efforts put in by the volunteers. As our Global Board Chair Gwen Van Berne expressed, "Volunteerism is deeply embedded in IMAs culture and is evidenced by the efforts of the Global Award Winners". Thank you, Gwen, for putting that across so beautifully.
 
Acquiring digital skills and expanding your knowledge about new technologies is the key to success in the modern age. Whether you’re a young graduate just starting your career, a startup founder, or a senior manager in a large firm, upskilling yourself to the new world of finance is essential. Some of the sessions organized by the chapter since January this year include:
 
Embracing Change by SunilDeshmukh, Chair elect, IMA Global Board of Directors
 
ESG: Reporting and Investment by Gwen Van Berne, Chair 2022-23, IMA Global Board of Directors
 
The Impact of Chat GPT on Finance and Accounting by Haresh Ratnagrahi
 
The post pandemic developments in the business environment have prompted business leaders to prioritise their digital transformation efforts. Financial services sector has witnessed that customers are preferring online services over traditional services, thereby migrating to digital experiences. This is sufficient reason for banks and other financial service companies to invest in new age technology and improve customer service continuously.
 
Plans for 2023 will definitely be to focus on knowledge sharing sessions in the area of digital transformation to support the efforts of the members and the students to stay updated. By acquiring new knowledge and skills, we will deepen our understanding of the digital world and start to realise unknown opportunities. As Benjamin Franklin said, “an investment in knowledge pays the best interest“.
 
Constant learning is crucial especially in the era of the knowledge economy, yet only a few people decide to spend their free time on upskilling. As finance is being constantly disrupted by new technologies, the majority of finance professionals are preparing for transformation and consider that adaptation to this new landscape is  ‘a matter of survival’. 

As finance professionals we need to gear up to meet the opportunities and challenges of the tech driven world. Lets keep contributing by sharing knowledge and thoughts and make learning one of the resolutions for 2023-24.


Madhavi Lokhande
President – IMA Bangalore Chapter