“CMI gave me the confidence to speak up”

There was a time when Marie Gooljar CMgr FCMI, deputy head of governance at UK Research and Innovation, preferred to “listen first” to colleagues’ views in leadership meetings before voicing her own. She admits to sometimes holding herself back during high-level discussions.

That was before she became a Chartered Manager, in 2022. 

By then, she already had a hugely impressive portfolio as a seasoned professional, having worked with 40 Nasdaq and FTSE listed organisations across many different sectors. But before she discovered CMI, although she’d been in leadership roles for years, she lacked a qualification to demonstrate her expertise. 

“CMI helped me move to a higher level through its guidance, support and resources,” says Marie. “I became a Chartered Manager in 2022 and then a Chartered Fellow in 2024. In leadership meetings, I’m now more assertive and more confident to give opinions and to back them up with models and theories.”

Meeting challenges, creating synergy

Specialising in finance management, organisational change, business partnering and assurance/governance, Marie has left her mark on large corporations in the US, Europe and the UK. These include the BBC, Centrica, Elsevier, Pfizer, Reinsurance Group of America, Shell and Wilkinson Sword.   

“I’ve been engaged extensively on an international level, so I’ve travelled somewhat,” she says. “I love the excitement of different cities and workplaces and taking on new contracts to address different challenges.”