Joanne Simone.(Member Profile)

It Started With A Summer Job

Like so many credit professionals, I ended up in this career by chance. My mom worked at D&B on Long Island as a typist, back in the days when business information reports were typed on a typewriter with carbon paper! When D&B was looking for summer help, I interviewed and got a job in the mailroom: I was then in high school. My job was to put all the typewritten reports in subscriber envelopes and mail them. I remember sitting there voraciously reading every report before I put it in the envelope ... at the end of the day, many reports were not ready for mailing and my morn would rush into the mailroom and have to help me finish-up.

And Another Helping Hand ...

When I went to college in '72 most women became teachers or nurses. I was not a trail blazer, so I received a degree in Music Education, taught instrumental music for about four miserable years, and--as happened to so many teachers back around 1980--I became unemployed. Again, my morn came to the rescue. She talked to some people at D&B in New York City, and in 1981 I was able to get a job as a D&B business analyst writing those beloved D&B business information reports. I credit that job at D&B with much of what I know today.

A Brief History

After receiving my broad experience at D&B, I entered the metals industry as a credit assistant in 1984. I worked in NYC for an importer of steel and aluminum by the name of J. Gerber & Co., Inc. I already had the basics of credit, but did not know a thing about collections. Then a move to Atlanta, Georgia in 1987 took me to a new position with Gerber working in their agricultural products export department, in documentation and collections. In 1988, I left J. Gerber and returned to the steel industry to take a job with A.M. Castle as a credit rep. In 1992, Castle began moving all credit functions back to their corporate office in Chicago (brrrr ... cold) and I left metals and worked at the Georgia Marble Company (now part of Imerys). There I learned lien law. When an opportunity to return to the steel industry presented itself in 1997 I took a position with Namasco as a credit manager.

We, in the steel industry, are currently in a great position as credit managers. Steel is not as abundant as it once was, so shortages are not uncommon. (Customers seem to behave themselves better in times of shortages!) I have customers contacting me regarding payment info ... before I have the chance to call them. They want to make sure that we ship their order and it's not held up for credit reasons.