Michelle Davidson | Credit Q&A

What is your background?

I was an active duty military member, serving in the Marine Corps as a Military Police Officer and the Army as a helicopter mechanic. I have lived worldwide and met some incredible individuals along the way. I also worked with the Alaska Public Health Department remotely, performing x-rays, blood draws, and triage on critically ill and injured patients before transporting them to a hospital several hours away.

How did you first enter the field of Credit?

I started working at ABC-Amega on the First-party collections side. I applied for the Credit Analyst position with Credit Services and felt I had finally found a place where I fit in and where my abilities would be valuable. I was interested in advancing, professionally, and learning from other in the field.

What is your job title and what are your responsibilities?

I am a Director of Credit Services. In this role, I administer the National Chemical Credit Association (NCCA). I work directly with the Board of Directors to help prepare the annual conference and three quarterly meetings, contract with hotels, and plan events for these gatherings. I also create the agendas and assist with arranging educational sessions for each gathering.

The Polymers Distribution Group (PDG) holds monthly credit interchanges that I facilitate. Members submit customers, and I run the meeting to help members have meaningful conversations regarding any issues they have with a customer.

The Commercial Foreign Credit Group is based in Cleveland, Ohio. This group is distinct from the other groups run by ABC-Amega. This group tackles the issues of doing business in the global economy, which has its own obstacles to overcome. I organize educational programs for the groups’ bi-monthly meetings and lead country discussions. This group has taught me a lot about global commerce.

Can you describe your typical day?

Every day is different from the day before, which is one of my favorite aspects of this role/department. The ability to learn not just from other Credit Services members but also from our members and their willingness to share their experiences. Learning and progress are strongly encouraged in this department.

What would you say are your greatest accomplishments in this industry?

One of my proudest achievements has been learning as much as possible from the incredible minds in Credit Services and developing my career from having little knowledge of credit to directing credit groups. This would not have been possible without the possibilities provided by ABC-Amega, the trust and expertise received from Paul Grolemund, and the ongoing education provided by Dan Pike and the rest of the Credit Services team.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I see myself remaining working in Credit Services, ideally with a larger team as we expand and add new Credit Groups to oversee. I’ve finally discovered a place where I feel like I belong. I stay at ABC-Amega because it is a terrific company and because I have amazing coworkers who I consider friends.

What advice would you give someone thinking of entering the field?

Learn! Do not be hesitant to ask questions. Everyone I’ve interacted with has been happy to explain and transfer their knowledge to you. Your coworkers are your mentors; learn from them as much as possible. Attend every webinar that is even vaguely credit-related.

If you weren’t working in credit, what do you think you’d be doing career-wise?

I formerly worked for the Alaska Public Health Department, which was 2.5 hours away from the nearest hospital. It was hard work, heartbreaking at times, but also very rewarding to see that they would not have received any assistance without you and your staff. I hope to return someday to help provide care in an underserved community. It was gratifying work!

If you enjoyed this interview, check out these other ones below!

Credit Q&A - Michelle Davidson