Simon Bittlestone, CIMA president and association chair

During his visit, Simon Bittlestone will attend a number of high-profile events with CIMA members, corporate partners, and government officials, including:

• Speaking to finance and accounting students at the University of Johannesburg about the future of the profession and inspire the next generation of accounting, finance, and business leaders. He will also be meeting with finance and accounting academics from universities across South Africa.
• Engaging with finance and accounting professionals across the public and private sectors at the Future of Finance 2.0 Forum to explore innovative strategies to unlock new opportunities, support long-term value creation, and foster sustainable growth within their organisations.
• Meeting with CIMA members to discuss trends affecting the profession, how AICPA & CIMA are adapting to stay at the forefront of accounting and finance amid rapid change, and support their members across Africa to excel in their careers.

  Simon Bittlestone was elected 91st CIMA president and 9th chair of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing AICPA & CIMA, on 11 June 2024. During his year in office, Simon will focus on empowering accounting and finance professionals to cultivate the mindset, skills, and knowledge they need to draw on the enormous possibilities presented by new technologies. In addition, he will put great emphasis on promoting the role of accounting and finance professionals as trusted advisors, who are equipped to support organisations to drive meaningful, long-lasting change and sustainable value creation. He will also work on fostering an inclusive profession, where anyone with the right aptitude and dedication has the opportunity join the profession, seize opportunities for growth, and build a fulfilling career.

Simon is a business leader with experience in both private and public companies and in the US, UK, and Asian markets, and currently holds a portfolio of advisory and non-executive roles for several technology businesses, investment funds, and charities. Simon’s business career includes working for 12 years in the financial analytics industry, a decade of which he spent as CEO of Metapraxis, a finance technology company based in London and New York with a global blue-chip customer base.