AICPA and CIMA: Connecting Finance Professionals Worldwide with Higher Logic Thrive

About the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants

The American Institute of CPAs® (AICPA) and its predecessors have served the public interest for 137 years. The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants® (CIMA) was founded in 1919 and has helped shape the profession for over a century. In 2017, the two organizations came together as AICPA and CIMA to forge a powerful international alliance that promotes accounting and finance in every corner of the world.

The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) serves 580,000 members and candidates across 150 countries and territories. By offering prestigious designations, certifications, learning, and resources, the organization helps professionals elevate their careers and contribute to the financial strength of the global economy.

The Association’s m embers span diverse industries. With such a wide range of member needs, AICPA is committed to delivering personalized, high-value engagement that connects professionals across borders and specialties.

Challenge: Scaling Engagement for a Global Membership

With members around the globe, and a new CEO committed to building community as a top priority, the Association needed to connect members at scale while maintaining a personal, high-quality experience.

“We needed a way to manage engagement for our members and deliver resources in a streamlined fashion,” said Reon Sines-Sheaff. “Our members wanted a space to connect with others who share similar challenges and experiences.”

The path forward was clear: connect a global network of professionals in a meaningful, and scalable way. The Association brings many accounting and finance professionals together for in-person events throughout the year, but members were looking for a digital space to connect, share information and resources, and come together year-round.   The leadership team wanted a powerful, scalable, and truly association-focused solution that could grow alongside their mission.  The Association needed a system that would:

• Prevent loss of engagement between events
• Deliver easy access to the vast resources members rely on
• Demonstrate the ongoing value of membership

Their goal was clear: to build meaningful community year-round, beyond conferences, and make it effortless for members to find resources, network, and collaborate.

Solution: Building Connection Through Higher Logic Thrive

After an exhaustive review of seven vendors, Higher Logic Thrive emerged as the clear choice, not only because of its capabilities but also because of the experience AICPA had during the decision-making process.

“One of the biggest reasons we chose Higher Logic was how easy and professional the process was,” said Sines-Sheaff. “The Higher Logic representative we worked with made everything straightforward, transparent, and collaborative. We felt supported from the very beginning.”

Why Higher Logic Stood Out

• Proven scalability to support hundreds of thousands of members globally
• Deep association expertise and Salesforce integration
• Modern, intuitive interface that feels familiar
• Exceptional support team, always responsive and easy to work with
• Transparency and integrity during the entire sales process
• Comprehensive feature suite including support for mentor and volunteer programs and a dedicated mobile app

The Association also drew confidence from peer validation. After reviewing case studies from other professional associations and directly connecting with their teams, the Association saw what was possible, and felt reassured they were choosing a trusted, results-driven partner.

Implementation: Smooth, Collaborative, and Hands-Free

From the very beginning, AICPA’s implementation experience exceeded expectations.

“Higher Logic made everything so smooth with responsive communication,” said Sines-Sheaff. “They took care of everything, allowing us to focus on our members instead of the setup.”

The rollout was efficient and well-coordinated, with a strong emphasis on communication and partnership. The Association was able to launch quickly while maintaining focus on member-facing initiatives.

Results:  Streamlined processes & member satisfaction.

“We are extremely happy with Higher Logic,” Sines-Sheaff emphasized. “It’s taken the manual struggle out of the equation and lets us focus on what really matters – our members.”

Key Results

• Streamlined operations: Eliminated legacy volunteer tools and manual processes
• Positive digital experience: Staff and members alike describe the platform as intuitive and reliable.
• Easy resource sharing: Signposting to resources allows members to more easily locate valuable articles, toolkits, and other content.
• Integrated experience: With community and volunteer opportunities together on one shared platform, along with the Mobile 365 App to allow easy member access, members benefit from access to multiple functionalities in a single portal.

“The community is foundational to our membership engagement success,” said Sines-Sheaff.

Looking Ahead: Growing Connection and Value

With Higher Logic Thrive as its engagement backbone, the Association is continuing to strengthen its global community and member experience.

“Our goal is to provide the best space possible for members to connect all year long,” said Sines-Sheaff. “We want them to ask questions, find resources, and keep building the amazing relationships they start at our events.”

Next on the Horizon

• Further staff training to maximize every available Higher Logic Thrive feature
• Exploring personalized engagement strategies through data-driven insights

The organization’s satisfaction extends beyond the platform, it’s about the people behind it.

“The speed of communication from the Higher Logic team is at the core of our satisfaction,” Sines-Sheaff said. “And the design support has been incredible. Everyone is so responsive, that really makes it worth it.”

Final Thoughts: Higher Logic as a True Partner

For the Association, Higher Logic Thrive isn’t just software, it’s a strategic partner that helps fulfill their mission of empowering trust, opportunity, and prosperity worldwide.

By connecting finance professionals in one vibrant, collaborative ecosystem, the Association has turned engagement into a global movement, and Higher Logic is proud to power it.