Member Spotlight: The CCRA Path to Success
When it comes to the credit profession, there's more than meets the eye. You're working with the credit team, senior management, sales, vendors, suppliers, customers and other departments in order to maximize profit and minimize risk. But that can get overwhelming without the proper preparation and training. That's where NACM's Professional Certification Program comes into play. This program helps credit professionals advance in their career through the earning of a designation. In doing so, they stand out from the crowd and get recognized for their hard work and dedication.
Christine Billings, CBA, CCRA, assistant credit manager at Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC (Collierville, TN) just earned her Certified Credit and Risk Analyst (CCRA) designation. The CCRA entails a mastery in the analysis and interpretation of financial statements and the ability to make informed credit risk assessments.
Billings sought her CCRA to expand her knowledge on risk analysis and credit decision making. "My goal was to be able to sift through data, detect patterns and predict changes in the company's financials," she said. "I wanted to learn how to make well-informed credit decisions and how finances can impact a company's operations."
Before earning her CCRA, she earned her Credit Business Associate (CBA) designation. The CBA entails mastery of three business credit related disciplines: Basic Financial Accounting, Financial Statement Analysis 1 and Business Credit Principles. It was then she realized that financial ratios would be crucial when assessing new and existing customers. After thorough feedback from her test, she was encouraged to earn her CBF.
Throughout her journey, Billings planned out how to best earn her designations and juggled studying, working full-time and taking care of her family. "I had to balance everything," she said. "I came from a banking background, but by taking the class, it was easier to see how business is not just black and white. I now know what tools to use."
