Michelle de Lange, accredited Accounting Lecturer in the School of Accountancy at the University of the Free State (UFS), finished second in the world at the recent Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) Board Examination. With only one point between De Lange and the first candidate, she aced the challenging exam.
Having obtained fourth position in the world for the 2019 CIMA Gateway exam, De Lange was determined to outdo herself.
The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is the world’s largest global professional management accounting body to offer training and qualification in management accountancy. As designation holders, members get to showcase their skills and experience to a global audience, while upholding professionalism and promoting continuous learning.
De Lange, who holds another professional accreditation from the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), coordinates the BCom Honours in Management Accounting programme, which is CIMA-aligned for postgraduate students. For De Lange, the greatest reward is the realisation of the impact she is making on her students through strategic vision.
Having worked in the private sector and later joining the UFS as an Assistant Director at Finance back in 2016, De Lange believed that something was missing; that there was more to give. In 2018 she moved to the School of Accountancy, taking on her new role as Lecturer. “I wanted to make a difference and be significant. This motivated my move to lecturing,” she says.
Her passion for teaching extends beyond the lecture hall. De Lange pays it forward by supporting students through a hands-on approach and ensuring that assessments are CIMA-aligned.
The School of Accountancy in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences is proud of De Lange and her achievements.
Becoming a CGMA requires discipline. De Lange is grateful for the support she received in preparation for the board exam, in particular from her husband Francois, who was “always understanding and encouraging”.
