Internationally-recognized professional certifications provide tremendous benefit for their holders throughout their career. They are a standard that allow individuals with a relevant professional certification to easily demonstrate their level of knowledge and their commitment to the profession. A professional certification makes it easier for the holder to get their first job, get promoted within their company, or to find a new job. However, the road to obtaining a professional certification is not an easy one and it is important that a candidate start the journey knowing what to expect and what the end goal is. Brian will talk about professional certifications, why they are important, how to make certain that they choose the correct certification, and how to plan for success on their exams.

Speaker: Brian Hock, President of HOCK International

After graduating from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio (USA) with degrees in Accountancy and History, Brian began his accounting career as an auditor for Price Waterhouse in Togliatti, Russia. In Togliatti, Brian was involved with the audit of AvtoVAZ, Russia's largest car manufacturer. Brian transitioned to the training department with PW in Moscow, Russia. For two years Brian was the Russia country manager of ATC International, which provided training for the ACCA and CIMA Exams. Brian then became the Training Manager for Arthur Andersen in Russia and also oversaw regional training programs for the firm. In the year 2000, Brian started HOCK Training as an independent training organization providing classes for the CPA, CMA, and CIA Exams. HOCK Training grew to include offices in Kyiv (Ukraine), Mink (Belarus), Almaty (Kazahkstan) and Dubai (UAE). In 2003, HOCK international was opened to offer HOCK study materials to candidates worldwide who could not attended classes at a HOCK training office. In addition to writing the materials for and teaching classes for CPA, CMA and CIA, Brian has also taught courses for other certifications such as ACCA, CIMA and CFA and non-exam courses in the areas of accounting and finance.