Fellow Members,

It's about the middle of the summer; I hope you are enjoying it so far. The board met last month to plan the meetings and events for the next year. They are working hard to continue with a great slate of speakers and a couple of events. Next month, the chapter is co-sponsoring a Night at the Races with the Cleveland East chapter on August 18th. The evening includes a program by the CFO of Northfield Park, followed by a tour, dinner and fun. See a separate section in the newsletter for more details.

Another event we are working on is a half day professional development seminar tentatively in early December. The program will focus on risk: workers' comp, OSHA, employment issues and insurance. More details to follow.

I look forward to seeing you at the next meeting in September.

Becky Price
President
Akron Chapter IMA

All Regular Monthly meetings for the 2008/2009 year will be held at Tangiers Restaurant on the following dates:
9/17/08
10/15/08
11/19/08
1/21/09
2/18/09
3/18/09
4/22/09
5/20/09

Please join in welcoming the following new members:

Indrarini Laksmana of Kent State University and Gulraze Wakil a student at KSU.

Attention!!!
IMA Akron Chapter Members
CMA Review Class
Returns to the University of Akron

Walk into CMA Exam with Confidence
Register for Fall 2008 Classes

Do you prefer

• ·The discipline of a structured classroom setting?
• ·A set schedule to keep you on track?
• ·The leadership of an experienced and dedicated instructor team?
• ·Discussion and networking with your peers?
• ·Courses that may qualify for tuition reimbursement from your employer?

Starting September 6, 2008

Module 1: CMA Business Analysis *
Prepare for Module 1 of the CMA exam by attending this 4-session class. Topics include: business economics, global business, internal controls, quantitative methods and financial statement analysis. Materials included
Saturdays, September 6, 13, 20 and 27th
8 am - 2:30 pm
$650

* Waived for current CPAs

Module 3: Strategic Management
This module is also a 4-session class that covers the topics of Strategic Planning, Strategic Marketing, Corporate Finance, Decision Analysis, and Investment Decision Analysis. Materials included.
Saturdays, November 1, 8, 15 and 22nd
9 am - 3:30 pm
$650

REGISTER NOW!!!
Call 330-972-7577 or visit the University web site at www.uakron.edu/ce/schedules/IMA-CMA.php Akron University Workforce Development and Continuing Education Akron, OH 44325-4104 330-972-7598 Fax

Please contact Roy Howarter if you have a job available or are looking for an employment opportunity.

Roy Howarter - Akron IMA Employment Director, 1- 800-321-5583

This summer, we are updating the Membership Roster section of the Annual Program Book, which will be distributed in September. As a source document for membership information, Ken Bechtol is using a chapter dump dated 7-2-08. Please review your information on the IMA National website by going to www.imanet.org and then follow this path in the "Members Only" block at the lower left-hand side of the screen: Username (your IMA account number, found above your name on the label of Strategic Finance magazine), Password (usually your last name, unless you changed your password), click "Go", and click "My Profile". When screen displays your information, update any necessary changes to your "Home" and "Business" addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail address, and review your "Demographics" data. Be sure to logout after your website update. If you changed any personal information on your website entry after 7-2-08, please notify Ken Bechtol because he will be using the 7-2-08 chapter dump information for the membership roster section of the Program Book, unless you notify him differently. This section will reflect your name, any credential designations (CMA, CFM, CPA, etc.), employer name, work phone and e-mail address. If you would rather display your home phone number and e-mail address (rather than work information), please advise Ken Bechtol accordingly by August 15.

Solicit a NEW Advertiser for the Annual Program Book and get a "FREE" Akron chapter tech session dinner. Ad prices are $360 for the rear cover (already sold), $305 for the inside covers, $150 for a full-page ad, and $100 for a half-page ad. Contact Dean Hull (Dean Hull) for questions about ad sizes or content. To qualify for the prize, the ad must be from a prospective advertiser that has not placed an ad in the Program Book during the last three years.

The chapter is co-sponsoring an event at Northfield Race Track with Cleveland East on August 18th. The dinner/meeting cost is $25 and the racetrack controller will be speaking.

Registration Info

Understanding international business practices has never been more important for accounting and finance professionals than it is today. In a recent nationwide survey of executives by Robert Half International, 61 percent of respondents said their organizations are doing more international business today than five years ago. Following are two key ways that managers and their teams can gain a more global perspective:

Be familiar with international reporting standards. The growing convergence of financial reporting standards requires professionals to be proficient with international usage. The generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) used in the U.S. for filing financial reports coexists with the international financial reporting standards (IFRS), which have been adopted by the countries of the European Union and other major nations around the world.
International committees are working to reduce the differences between the two, and foreign companies listed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may soon be able to file financial reports using IFRS instead of reconciling their reports with GAAP. In addition, it's beneficial to have at least a working knowledge of how U.S. corporate governance requirements affect foreign subsidiaries of U.S.- based firms.

Boost your cultural literacy. Being knowledgeable of and sensitive to cultural differences and customs will help you immensely - regardless of whether you're a globetrotting frequent flier or you're part of an international work team. Strive to learn the professional protocol and cultural nuances of the countries in which your firm does business.
Consult international etiquette books or country- specific guides. (For instance, did you know that exchanging business cards in Japan is a formal process and it's considered rude if you don't carefully study a contact's card when you receive it?) When doing your research, pay particular attention to proper greetings, gestures to avoid, and the appropriate use of first names, last names and honorific titles. And even if your job doesn't require you to be multilingual, foster goodwill and build rapport with your foreign colleagues and customers by learning a phrase or two in their language.

Accountemps is the world's first and largest temporary staffing service specializing in the placement of accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The company has more than 360 offices worldwide, and offers online job search services at www.accountemps.com.

email: floyd@sssnet.com

web: http://akron.imanet.org