Member Spotlight: Reach Beyond 

Advancing in your career involves a continual pursuit of greater achievements. NACM’s six-level Professional Certification Program for credit professionals is tailor made to educate and sharpen their skills, enabling them to stand out both in their company and their field. 

Harry McLaughlin, CCE, CICP, credit operations manager at Continental Tire the Americas, LLC (Fort Mill, SC), felt it necessary to lead by example and pursue his designations, recently earning his Certified Credit Executive (CCE). “Continuing education on what is happening, not only at your company or your industry, is crucial to developing effective risk managers,” he said.  

McLaughlin has been involved with NACM and FCIB for about 25 years and it wasn’t until 2014 that he realized credit wasn’t just a job—it was his career, and he excelled at it. “Since I was working at a company with a global reach and structure, I earned my Certified International Credit Professional (CICP) designation,” he said. “From there, I attended more meetings and took part in more training sessions. It wasn’t until I got my first designation that I had any sense of how it sets you apart.” 

With the support of his mentors and coaches, McLaughlin not only recognized his potential but also received encouragement to improve. “In preparing for this particular milestone, I met a number of new people through NACM that are or have been on similar journeys and realized that we all have skills where we fall short,” he said. “But learning more can uncover these and help us correct, compensate or cope. It’s a reminder that knowledge evolves, challenging our business understanding regardless of what we learned decades or even years ago.” 

After such a rewarding and challenging endeavor, McLaughlin strives to lead others in the same direction to achieve their designations through NACM’s Professional Certification Program. 

💡Study Tips: Be deliberate, manage your time and take advantage of every learning opportunity. “As a manager, listen to your staff, your teams and your customers to be open, to be challenged and to recognize where your weaknesses are,” McLaughlin said. “A tool that isn’t sharpened and maintained gets dull and rusty until it’s no longer of any use to anyone, keep sharpening the edge and keep swinging.” 

Take courses offered, especially financial analysis and credit law. “Never assume you know everything and study with the curiosity of someone who has never heard it before,” McLaughlin said. 

For more information about each designation within NACM’s Professional Certification Program, visit our website.