Member Spotlight: Designations Provoke New Perspectives in Credit
Credit management can be described as both an art and a science. The art side of credit is earned through experience with skills in communication, problem solving, negotiation and that gut feeling when assessing creditworthiness. The science side of credit is based on technical skills earned through educational programs and on-the-job training.
"With the support of my company, I looked for designations available through NACM," said Stephen DePalo, CCRA, credit and collections supervisor at Johnson & Johnson, Inc. (Tampa, FL). DePalo recently earned his CCRA designation—expanding his education and understanding more about his role in credit. "The CCRA really interested me and provided me with the most return value for what I was working on a day-to-day basis."
The Certified Credit and Risk Analyst (CCRA), an academic-based designation, signals a mastery in the analysis and interpretation of financial statements and the ability to make informed credit risk assessments. It is one of several designations in NACM's Professional Certification Program.
DePalo started his CCRA designation journey when he took a credit job in 2019. Of everything learned throughout his CCRA designation journey, DePalo gained a better perspective of credit. "As a credit representative, you're taught that certain numbers are inherently good or bad," he said. "My perspective has changed in being able to articulate myself when defending a credit decision, recommendations to the business, sales stakeholders or an internal review."
Even if you do not expect to leave your current role, earning a designation shows employers the accreditation behind what you do on a day-to-day basis. "It's not strictly based off of experience," DePalo added. "This was the first step in my designation journey and now I'm pursuing my CCE designation and excited to start and finish that journey."
For more information about each designation within NACM's Professional Certification Program, visit our website.
