CIMA Society Asia Pacific

What CIMA Society Asia Pacific does

CIMA Society Asia Pacific is a Sydney-headquartered, non-profit professional membership organization founded in 2000 that functions as the only international affiliate of the Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI) in the Asia Pacific region. It operates as a community of practice for investment and wealth professionals involved in constructing or advising on multi-asset, multi-manager investment portfolios, offering three membership tiers: CIMA Certificant Member (A$850+GST annually), Associate Member (A$425+GST annually), and Affiliate Member (A$425+GST annually). Membership includes pre-paid biennial IWI certification renewal fees (US$895 value), complimentary registration to 5 live programs, automatic CE reporting to IWI, and access to IWI's global community of 18,000 professionals across 40 countries.

The organization's core technology and product surface is delivered through its education partner, Portfolio Construction Forum, which provides the IMAC course (one of only three CIMA education programs globally and the only one tailored for Asia Pacific), a CIMA CE Library containing over 1,000 on-demand CE hours, member tools (MyCE, MyStudyPlan), short courses (Behavioural Finance - Investment Decision-Making), subscription content (Thinking Differently About Markets, Portfolio Compass), and the Secretariat function. Flagship live programs include the annual Markets Summit (established 2009), annual Strategies Summit (established 2002), quarterly CIMA Connect peer engagement events, and an annual Research Symposium in Sydney. Forum CE hours are accredited to meet requirements of 20+ governing bodies including ASIC, APRA, FAAA, and FMA.

CIMA Society generates revenue through recurring annual membership subscriptions across its three tiers, with revenue model squarely subscription-recurring. Distribution is direct via online membership sign-up and through the Forum platform, supported by content marketing (Forum Fodder newsletter), live events, on-demand content, and community referrals. The organization holds authorized use of the CIMA, Certified Investment Management Analyst, IMAC, and IMATM trademarks via its IWI affiliation, and is governed by a Board of Directors with operational Secretariat functions outsourced to Portfolio Construction Forum (operated by Brillient Investment Publishing Pty Ltd).

Name

CIMA Society Asia Pacific

Legal name

CIMA Society Asia Pacific

Website

https://cimasocietyasiapacific.community

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIMA Society Asia Pacific is a Sydney-based non-profit membership organization and the only international affiliate of the Investments and Wealth Institute in Asia Pacific. It serves investment and wealth professionals constructing multi-asset portfolios via tiered memberships, CIMA certification, and continuing education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification & Continuing Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Finance, Accounting & Risk (CFA/CPA/FRM) Certifications (EDAAANAD), International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

Keywords

• Professional certification services
• Continuing education programs
• Investment management training
• Professional membership organization
• Portfolio construction education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: CIMA Society generates revenue through annual membership fees across three tiers: CIMA Certificant Members (A$850+GST annually), Associate Members (A$425+GST annually), and Affiliate Members (A$425+GST annually). The society also pre-pays the biennial CIMA certification renewal fee to IWI on behalf of CIMA Certificant Members as part of the membership value proposition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CIMA Society Asia Pacific is a non-profit professional membership organization that operates as a community of practice for investment and wealth professionals in the Asia Pacific region. It administers the CIMA certification pathway via its education partner Portfolio Construction Forum (delivering the IMAC course, the CIMA CE Library, and live programs), and offers tiered annual memberships (CIMA Certificant, Associate, and Affiliate) that include access to accredited continuing education, automatic CE reporting to IWI, pre-paid certification renewal fees, and peer networking through events and Peer Exchange Groups.

Product overview

CIMA Society Asia Pacific operates as a membership-based professional organization offering a unified platform for investment management certification and continuing education. The core offering centers on the CIMA certification pathway delivered through the Investment Management Analyst Certificate (IMAC) course, supported by a comprehensive continuing education ecosystem including the CIMA CE Library (1,000+ hours), live event programs (Markets Summit, Strategies Summit, CIMA Connect), on-demand courses (Behavioural Finance), and member management tools (MyCE, MyStudyPlan). The organization provides three membership tiers serving CIMA certificants, credentialed professionals, and affiliate members, with integrated access to the Portfolio Construction Forum's educational resources and accreditation services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management Analyst Certificate (IMAC) An accredited CIMA education program pathway and the education requirement for the Investment Management Analyst (IMATM) designation. Delivered via live stream and on-demand formats by Portfolio Construction Forum as the IWI-Registered Education Provider for Asia Pacific.
• Behavioural Finance - Investment Decision-Making Course A 15-hour on-demand short course that helps identify, analyse and evaluate human preferences influencing decision-making under uncertainty to improve investment decision-making.
• CIMA CE Library On-demand continuing education library offering over 1,000 CE hours of accredited content to meet CIMA renewal requirements and CE/CPD requirements of 20+ governing bodies. Hours are automatically reported to IWI for CIMA Certificant Members.
• Markets Summit Annual conference covering the drivers of and outlook for markets, opportunities and risks on a three- to five-year view. Delivered via live studio, live site, live stream, and on-demand formats. CIMA Certificant Members earn CE hours via complimentary registration.
• Strategies Summit Annual conference featuring 50+ leading investment thinkers debating contemporary and emerging portfolio construction strategies. Presented each August with live and on-demand access.
• CIMA Connect Quarterly peer engagement programs featuring keynote presentations on contemporary investment portfolio construction issues followed by Peer Exchange Groups where members discuss investment challenges with peers.
• Thinking Differently About Markets Subscription program embracing complexity economics to better understand how markets really work.
• Portfolio Compass An efficient, effective tool to better connect portfolios to client objectives, delivered on demand.
• CIMA Society Membership Community of practice membership available in three categories: CIMA Certificant Member (A$850+GST annually), Associate Member (A$425+GST annually), and Affiliate Member (A$425+GST annually). Includes digital badges, post-nominals, complimentary live CE program access, on-demand library access, automatic CE reporting to IWI, pre-paid biennial CIMA certification renewal fees, and global IWI Basic digital membership.

Quantifiable outcome

• CIMA Certificant Members earn 30 CE hours from complimentary access to 5 live programs annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIMA Society Asia Pacific is the only international affiliate of IWI, the Denver, USA-based international professional association, advanced education provider, and certification board for private wealth advisers, investment consultants, and wealth managers. IWI owns the CIMA mark and serves 18,000 investment and wealth professionals in 40 countries. This affiliation grants CIMA Society exclusive rights to administer CIMA certification and provide approved CE hours in the Asia Pacific region.
• Portfolio Construction ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortfolio Construction Forum is the specialist, independent provider of investment continuing education, accreditation and certification services in Asia Pacific. It serves as CIMA Society's education partner, managing the Investment Management Research Program (IWI-registered Education Provider), delivering the IMAC course (one of only three global CIMA education programs), managing the CIMA CE Library, and providing the Secretariat functions for CIMA Society. Forum automatically reports CE hours to IWI on members' behalf.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• FINSIA (Financial Services Institute of Australasia): Australia and APAC-focused financial services professional body offering certifications, continuing education, and member services. Directly comparable geography, member profile (investment and wealth professionals), and CE/CPD-driven business model to CIMA Society.
• CFA Institute: Global professional membership and certification body offering the CFA charter to investment professionals. Directly comparable to CIMA Society as a credentialing authority serving investment analysts and portfolio managers through membership tiers, continuing education, and global chapters.
• CAIA Association: Issuer of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation for investment professionals specializing in alternative investments. Highly comparable to CIMA Society as a competing professional certification body in the investment/wealth space with membership and CE programs.
• Investments and Wealth Institute (IWI): Denver-based international professional association and owner of the CIMA mark, serving 18,000 professionals across 40 countries. Parent-affiliate relationship with CIMA Society makes it the closest structural peer and benchmark for membership-based wealth professional certification.
• Portfolio Construction Forum: Sister organization and operating partner of CIMA Society, delivering IMAC courses, CE Library, and secretariat services. Effectively the Society's education and operations arm, with overlapping content, customer base, and revenue alignment in APAC investment continuing education.

Regional players

• CISI (Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment): UK-headquartered professional body for securities, investment, and wealth professionals with international membership and certifications. Comparable as a credentialing and CE membership organization, though anchored in the UK rather than APAC.
• Financial Advice Association Australia (FAAA): Peak professional body for Australian financial advisers providing CPD-accredited education, advocacy, and membership services. Directly comparable as a CE/CPD-providing membership body for the same APAC investment and advice professional audience.

Broad incumbents

• CA ANZ (Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand): One of the largest professional accounting bodies in the region, offering designations, continuing professional development, and member services. Comparable as a credentialing and CPD membership organization serving finance professionals, though broader than investment-only.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cima-society-asia-pacific

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CIMA Society Asia Pacific