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Professionals Just Like You Belong to Peninsula PaloAlto Chapter of IMA
 
News & Updates

IMA’s 20th Annual Salary Survey
Despite the economic crisis, IMA’s 20th Annual Salary survey indicates that professionals holding IMA’s CMA certification have greater earning power – 24% higher in salary and 31% higher in total compensation – than their noncertified colleagues. These findings appear in the June 2009 issue of IMA’s
Strategic Finance.

New LinkUp IMA Online Social Network is Now Live!
IMA invites members to ioin LinkUp IMA, our exciting new online social network exclusive for IMA members.

IMA’s Western Illinois University Student Chapter wins the 2009 Clark Johnson Achievement Award for their project to increase student involvement in IMA.

IMA Committees' Response to SEC Roadmap for IFRS use by U.S. Companies
IMA’s Financial Reporting and Small Business Committees submitted comment letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in response to its proposed roadmap for the use of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by U.S. Companies. Comments were due on April 20, 2009.

COSO Elects New Chairman

The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission has elected David L. Landsittel, CPA as its new chairman. Jeff Thomson, IMA’s President and CEO, took the lead in the organization’s search for the Chairman’s position.

IMA Peninsula Chapter Committee Leadership


Academic Relations Committee Chair - Carroll I. Buck, MBA, CMA

Carroll I. Buck is currently responsible for the Academic Relations activity at the Peninsula Palo Alto Chapter of IMA. Carroll started his career as a submarine qualified sonar technician aboard the USS Finback SSN670. After leaving the service he continued his education and received an MBA from the University of Maine. He is a Certified Management Accountant. His first business experience was for Maine's second largest electric utility Bangor Hydro Electric Company in various capacities from Assistant Division Manager through the Vice President level. He served as a Board Member of the Electric Council of New England. He was President of his own construction company arranging financing and construction for housing, apartments and condominium projects. During this period he developed a method of equity sharing of ownership interest for individual homeowners. Carroll was a management consultant providing strategic management and cost evaluation and control services. Engagements varied in duration and complexity from a court cost analysis to full representation of a water or electric utility in a rate case before the Public Utilities Commission. Carroll accepted a full time position at the University of Nevada,Reno as an Assistant Professor of Accounting in 1997 and remained there until he accepted a full time Lecturer position in Accounting and Finance at San Jose State in 2001 Professor Buck the Faculty Advisor to the IMA student chapter at SJSU.


Certification Committee Chair - Christian Lambacher, MBA

Christian Lambacher is currently responsible for the CMA certification program at the Peninsula Palo Alto Chapter of IMA. Christian Lambacher has 12 years of experience in Financial Planning and Analysis, Management Consulting, and International Sales & Marketing. He has gained extensive international experience on assignments in the U.S. and Germany, and on projects in Western Europe, Latin America Australia and New Zealand. Since having relocated to the Bay Area in Sept 2008, Christian has worked as a consultant and contractor for clients in the mobile communications and consumer electronics industries, currently at a Fortune 100 manufacturer of mobile devices. Christian earned his MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Glendale, AZ, and a business degree from the University of Mannheim in Germany.


Ethics Program Committee Chair - Edwin Tan, Chartered Acccountant

Edwin Tan is currently responsible for the Ethics Program at the Peninsula Palo Alto Chapter of IMA. Edwin Tan, is a licensed chartered accountant of England and Wales and has also passed the uniform Certified Public Accountant's exam conducted in California in the year 1986. Edwin has over 30 years of experience in auditing, taxation, and company restructuring experience. Edwin feels fortunate that in the early years of his career to work for a restructuring specialist from PriceWaterhouse partner that later setup his chartered accountancy practice in London. Edwin is the restructuring specialist for RHI for the past 7 years in various capacities including accounting manager through CFO position. Edwin's specialties include restructuring, taxation, setting up new accounting system, and providing training/mentoring to finance staff. Prior to working for RHI Edwin was the CFO/Controller for 'Cosdel Int'l Co Inc', a Foreign Freightforwarders and Customhouse Brokers located in San Francisco for 15 years before that company was acquired by a New York Company.


Excel Program Committee Chair - Steven Singh, CPA, CMA

Steven is currently responsible for the Excel Program at the Peninsula Palo Alto Chapter of IMA. Steven Singh has been member of IMA since 2002. He has over 15 years of accounting and finance experience. Steven's wide range of industry experience includes manufacturing, software, defense and non-profit organizations. Steven currently consults through RHI along with his other clientele located in the bay area and San Diego of California. Steven is originally comes from Fiji Islands, where his career started as an auditor. Steven has a B.A. in Management and Economics from The University of the South Pacific; an M.A. in Accounting from The University of the New South Wales, Sydney Australia. Steven is a member of Australian Society of CPA and California Society of CPA. Steven is a CMA, and holds active Australian CPA license along with active California State CPA license.


FMN Program Committee Chair - Ken Kobelynski, CPA, MBA
Advisory Committee Member

Ken is currently responsible for the FMN program at the Peninsula Palo Alto Chapter of IMA. Ken is the chapter's past president and lead the chapter's operating board duing fiscal 2004 - 2005 and also during 2005 - 2006. Ken continues as permanent leader in his role as a member of Advisory Committee of the chpater. Ken brings over twenty years of controller-level experience ranging from $12B global manufacturing to small engineering companies. A Stanford MBA and active CPA, Ken has served as small business corporate controller for two five-year periods, survived the final five years of Solectron's existence as a long-term contractor, and in recent years morphed to a new career passion in External Reporting(with the business card tag, 'I will fill in the GAAPs for you!'). Ken and family have called Cupertino,their home town since 1992.


Marketing and Communication Committee Chair - Tonia Bloom, CMA,CFM, MBA
Tonia originated from Illinois, but lived in Michigan, Arizona, and New Mexico before settling in the Silicon Valley. Tonia graduated from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, Michigan, with a BS in Entrepreneurship. She then moved to Phoenix and attended Arizona State University, earning both an MBA and an MS in Accounting Info Systems. Tonia joined IMA while in college and earned her CMA in 1996 and CFM in 1997, while serving as an active member of the San Jose Chapter. For over 15 years, Tonia has held accounting and audit roles in public accounting, manufacturing and high-tech firms, and in local government, and she is an active CISA and California CPA. Tonia enjoy reading, camping, and hiking with her husband and their two dogs.


Membership Retention Committee Chair - Karl Kneip, MBA, CMA
Advisory Committee Member

Karl Kneip is currently responsible for the Membership Retention at the Peninsula chapter of IMA. In the past Karl has served as a chapter President(1999 - 2000) and in other officer positions. Karl continues as permanent leader with the chapter in his role as a member of Advisory Committee of the chapter. Karl has over twenty years of experience in bio-tech/pharmaceutical industry accounting and forecasting R&D expenditures. Karl's current career emphasis has been on contract accounting services for small pre-IPO companies. Karl has a BS in Accounting from Menlo College, MBA from Santa Clara University and a CMA.


Students Matters Committee Chair - David Hughes, CMA, CFM

David Hughes is currently responsible for the Student Matters at the Peninsula chapter of IMA. Dave has worked in corporate accounting for almost 30 years or so starting since April 1980. Dave has been associated with the IMA off and on since 1983. Dave has been associated with Peninsula chapter leadership for approx 7 years and his specific responsibility have been related to liaison of the SJSU student chapter. Dave loves working with the students and the University, as he finds it invigorating to meet with and discuss the futures of these very talented and focused students. Dave's specific advise for the students is -"Write your business plan for "Self" and make it happen!". "Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence." Dave likes to paint, oils and watercolors, the stock market and his dog....Codi, last but not least his wife, Lynn who inspires him every day and without her life would be unbearable he says!


Technical Meeting Committee Chair - Akiko Nakanaga,CPA

Akiko is a California Certified Public Accountant. Akiko was brought into the IMA Board membership committee in San Diego while she was still a student. She served as the VP of Membership at IMA San Diego chapter. Immediately upon relocation to Silicon Valley, she joined the IMA in the Bay Area and seeks to offer her experience and get involved with the IMA Palo Alto chapter. Akiko has auditing and SOX compliance experience and holds a Master degree in the area of international economics.

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