Taking ownership: One credit professional’s journey to a CBA certification

Business-to-business (B2B) credit management is a dynamic and often unpredictable profession. From shifting economic conditions and industry trends to bankruptcy and insolvency, credit managers are doing their best to stay proactive and adaptable.

To help professionals succeed in this demanding field, NACM and FCIB’s Professional Certification Program offers a structured path to develop core competencies. With six designations available, the program provides the knowledge base and tools necessary for long-term success in credit management. 

Take Cory Davis, CBA, credit analyst at Shaw Polymers, LLC (Lakeway, TX), as an example. With a background in accounting, Davis transitioned into credit and quickly realized he needed to close the knowledge gaps to better manage risk and streamline processes.  

“The Credit Business Associate (CBA) certification gave me greater insight for improving our customer onboarding process,” said Davis. “By the time I was certified, I was already implementing changes to our terms and conditions, as well as updating our credit application. I even brought some ideas to my legal counsel to refine those adjustments.”  

The certification not only sharpened Davis’s technical skills but also expanded his role within the company. “I started taking ownership of more projects and became involved in new areas of credit management,” Davis said. “The Financial Statement Analysis and Business Credit Principles courses gave me the confidence to contribute more strategically and help reshape our day-to-day operations.” 

Support from his direct manager, Michelle Barnett, and his NACM affiliate, NACM Southwest, played a big role in his journey. “They were responsive, patient and understanding all throughout,” Davis said. “They answered all my questions and even shared real-world examples that helped connect the coursework to what I was seeing on the job.” 

📚Study tips: When it came time to prepare for the final exam, Davis found NACM’s study tools especially helpful. “The two-part video in the CBA Practice Exam was a huge help,” he said. “It had been about six weeks since I’d completed the courses, so the videos acted as a great refresher and helped fill in some of the gaps I didn’t feel confident in. I also went back and retook the quizzes from the Business Credit Principles course and just focused on repetition. That’s how I really got the material to stick.”