The National Association of Credit Management (NACM) kicked off the first full day of its 119th annual Credit Congress on Monday in St. Louis. The opening General Session focused on making positive changes within the organization--and therefore, the entire B2B credit industry--and improving NACM member resources, including the National Trade Credit Report and eNews, as well as its ongoing lobbying work regarding federal bankruptcy reform.

Keynote Speaker Jim Knight, author of "Culture That Rocks," told the session comprised of more than 1,000 trade credit and financial professionals that a company's culture shapes so much of their performance now and in the future. "Celebrate heritage, but focus on culture," Knight advised, adding that culture focuses on today's behaviors, not yesterday's habits.
Knight, who spent a majority of his career working for Hard Rock International, played heavily on music analogies explaining that everyone in a band "needs to sing off the same sheet of music" and has an important role. "We need rock stars (not lip-synchers) to amp up the band," he said. Managers need to work hard to create an atmosphere that makes people never want to go on another job interview, or perhaps, in extreme cases, even get a tattoo of the company logo on their body--a move that would show true dedication, Knight quipped.

In the afternoon, NACM honored its members during the 2015 Honors & Awards Ceremony. Jack Clark, CCE, received the most prestigious award, the Alice M. H. McGregor Achievement of Excellence. Clark is well known in credit circles, not just for serving as a past NACM-National Chair and on many boards or committees, but for fighting to expand and highlight the role of credit throughout the greater business world.

"I can't think of anything that Jack hasn't accomplished in his career," said Chris Myers, immediate past chair of NACM and chair of the 2015 Honors & Awards Committee. "Through good times and not so good times, everyone in this organization has looked to Jack, counting on his leadership to lead the way. Jack always saw opportunity."

Other NACM members highlighted during NACM's 2015 Honors & Awards include: Jay Snyder, CCE, ICCE (O.D. Glaus Credit Executive of Distinction and 2014 Graduate School of Credit and Financial Management Student Leadership Award), Kurt Sorensen, CCE, CICP (CCE Designation of Excellence), Scott Woitas, CBF (CBF Designation of Excellence), Robert Verhage, CBA (CBA Designation of Excellence), Marilyn Rea, CCE (Mentor of the Year), Cheryl Ann Pinson, CCE, CICP (Instructor of the Year) and Anne Scarcella, CBF, CCRA (Student of the Year).

 

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Website: www.nacm.org
Source: National Association of Credit Management