CEOs say need for more emphasis on value of non-financial assets: Survey

DUBAI: Majority of the world's CEOs say more emphasis should be placed on measuring the value of non- financial assets such as intellectual capital and customer relationships to drive long-term performance, says a survey.

But just 51 per cent of nearly 300 CEOs surveyed by the by the American Institute of CPAs and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in 21 countries said their organisations currently measure the value of non-financial assets well or very well.

Only 12 per cent now turn to their finance teams for help with the task, it added.

AICPA and CIMA are releasing these findings today at simultaneous events in New York and London launching the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation.

"Businesses are facing unprecedented challenges. One of the key struggles faced by CEOs is building sustainably for the future in the face of a fixation on financial, short-term gains," said Charles Tilley, FCMA, CGMA Chief Executive of CIMA.

"Our research shows there is an unmet need in the measuring of non-financial information within organisations. Management accountants, who have the depth and breadth to understand the business from multiple perspectives, can help businesses succeed in troubled times and create long-term sustainability," he added.

The survey conducted for AICPA and CIMA by Oxford Economics and an accompanying paper -- Rebooting Business: Valuing the Human Dimension' -- is the first in a series of thought leadership from the accounting organisations highlighting the opportunities and challenges business leaders face in this age of complexity, uncertainty and change, it said.