ICMA (Australia) Sri Lanka branch graduation at BMICH

The Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA) Australia, held its annual graduation ceremony at the BMICH on April 30 amongst a group of distinguished guests and invitees. Gracing the occasion on this year's graduation were Chief Guest, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Guest of Honour Professor Janek Ratnatunga, Chair Education Committee of ICMA Australia and Murali Prakash, President ICMA Sri Lanka Branch.

The Chief Guest at the event highlighted the fact that the country's economy was now on a high growth mode targeting a USD 100 billion economy with USD 4,000 per capita income. "The country requires knowledgeable, competent and innovative professionals with the skills required for the 21st century knowledge economy to spearhead the vision of being the Miracle of Asia". He further emphasized the need for professionals to keep abreast of the changes happening globally and continuously acquire new knowledge. "If not they will be out of touch and outdated," he continued. ICMA (Australia) is one qualification which helps professionals and graduates to move forward in this direction, expanding their knowledge horizons by acquiring a high level of financial literacy and improving lateral thinking. Nivard Cabraal congratulated the graduates on their achievement and thanked ICMA (Australia) for offering the programme in Sri Lanka.

Prof Janek Ratnatunga mentioned about 'connecting the dots'. He continued "This can only be done backwards and gave an example of how Apple's Steve Jobs realised that a calligraphy class he went to years before at college, was so influential in the design principles that he brought to Apple," Professor Ratnatunga connected his own dots and said that upon entering KPMG as an 'article clerk' to do chartered accountancy, a major dot was Nivard Cabraal, the Governor of the Central Bank. Cabraal had won all the prizes and Prof Ratnatunga wanted to beat him.

"I never could, but the discipline, that the chase gave me, served me well for my very successful academic career later."