Professional Designations

An Association of Executives in Finance, Credit & International Business

Certified International Credit Executive (CICE)

FCIB is pleased to announce the professional designation, developed for international business professionals who have demonstrated superior achievements in, and contributions to, the arena of international business, credit and financial management. The CICE is a newly created designation by FCIB-NACM^® tailored to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance and signify those who demonstrate knowledge and experience essential to the international business management profession. The CICE is a voluntary professional credential for senior international business credit professionals who have exhibited exceptional achievements in, and contributions to, the international credit, finance and related trade services profession, including managerial capabilities and responsibilities in international business credit management, collections, risk management, finance, treasury and related trade service functions.

The benefits of participating in a professional designation program are invaluable:

It enhances international professional recognition by peers and management
It expands knowledge gained through fulfilling the CICE requirements
It signals a commitment to professional expertise
It exemplifies dedication to continued professional growth and achievement

There are 3 ways to download the CICE Application Form:
1) Microsoft Word Document (170k)
2) Novell WordPerfect Document (63k)
3) Adobe Acrobat pdf file. (997k) Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view this document. Click here to download Acrobat Reader.

FCIB: Defining the Standards of Excellence
FCIB-NACM has defined and set the standards of excellence in the international business credit arena since 1919. The CICE is a voluntary professional designation program which continues FClB's tradition of excellence and supports the international business credit professional by fostering recognition of those individuals who demonstrate superior knowledge and expertise in the international credit and trade finance area.

Changes in the global arena require an international professional designation to endorse an executive's ability to establish, develop and manage credit and finance programs in any region of the world. CICE holders will have managerial expertise in the areas of international credit and risk assessment, treasury, collections, and trade-related services, as well as a thorough understanding of the commercial business practices and courtesies necessary to manage and lead in the global business environment of the future.

Who Can Apply?
CICE candidates will be senior-level international business and trade finance executives with a minimum of six years of senior-level management experience.

CICE candidates must demonstrate a mastery of skills in one or more areas of international credit, finance and business management, corporate and country risk assessment, international business management, customer financial services, or must document contributions to the international credit or trade-related service profession. Experience may be drawn from all international credit and trade finance professions and activities including those of service-related institutions such as banks, forfeiters, factoring houses, credit insurance underwriters, brokers, legal representatives and credit reporting agencies.

Generally, there will be no substitutions for the six-year experience requirement. However, on a case-by-case basis, and if deemed appropriate by the CICE Accreditation Committee, there may be situations where certain work and life experience may qualify for special consideration. For example, up to a maximum of two years of international experience may be replaced by a combination of factors as follows:

Two years of teaching international business credit and related trade services courses at a recognized institution of higher learning may be substituted for one year of international experience. Only a maximum of two years of the required six may be substituted in this manner.
Other professional designations sponsored by recognized and acceptable entities may be substituted for one year of the six years required.
Other experiences and/or accomplishments, if documented to the satisfaction of the Accreditation Committee, may apply.

Candidates must also practice all tenets of the Canons of Business Credit Ethics, listed herein, and be active participants in the international credit and trade finance arenas.

While the minimum of six-year experience requirement is rigid, there is some flexibility in recounting the relevant background necessary to qualify for the CICE designation. CICE candidates will complete an application form, which will be judged by the Accreditation Committee. While the CICE application in its entirety is important, the Accreditation Committee will judge each application on its individual merits. Eligibility to the CICE process will be approved by the committee. FClB's role is to serve in an administrative capacity as the sponsor of the designation.

The committee will judge each candidate's education, work experience, international trade group experience, business-related international travel experience, as well as continued contributions to the international business credit profession through teaching, writing and volunteer service. Applicants with balanced, broad experience are encouraged to apply.

Application Process
Applicants will:

Complete the CICE application form and submit it to FCIB. A $250 non-refundable application fee must accompany the application. The application fee offsets review and administrative expenses along with the costs involved for the certificate attesting to the achievement. The application fee is payable in U.S. dollars via check, credit card or wire transfer. Checks should be made payable to the FCIB-NACM CICE Program.

Wire transfers should be directed to:
Wachovia Bank
Wire Transfer Department
1545 W.T. Harris Boulevard
Building 2C3
Charlotte, NC 28288 USA
ABA Number: 055003201
Swift Number: PNBPUS33
Account Number: 2044000355337
FCIB-NACM Corporation

All bank charges for remitter's account.

Along with the application, CICE candidates will submit a proposal for a research paper or management study report. The topic must be original in nature and relate to international business credit management, collections, risk management, finance, treasury or related trade service functions. The applicant will receive the status of their CICE designation eligibility within 30 days.

Within six months of receiving approval of the research paper topic, candidates will submit the final work. Requirements for the paper are outlined herein. The paper will be judged for acceptance by the Accreditation Committee.

FCIB will notify each applicant when a thorough review of the paper is completed by the CICE Accreditation Committee. By submitting the research paper, the CICE applicant is granting publishing rights to FCIB and waiving all intellectual property rights unless otherwise requested in writing by the applicant.

Continued designation status will be contingent upon ongoing participation in the international business credit or international trade-related services profession and payment of a $100 USD annual renewal fee. Re-certification is required every three years and carries no re-certification fee. Any information relevant to the re-certification process will be sent to all successful CICE designation holders.

Should a candidate's initial application for the CICE designation be unsuccessful, re-application is encouraged as soon as all criteria are met. Should the research paper be rejected by the committee, candidates have one year to complete and re-submit a revised edition. No additional fees are required for re-applications or re-submissions.

It is anticipated that the CICE designation program and requirements will change from time to time, based on the ever-changing demands of the international business credit-related professions. Accordingly, FCIB reserves the right to modify the requirements as and when deemed appropriate.

The Research Paper:
An International Credit/Financial Management Study Report
This project is a critical element of the CICE designation process. It will communicate and reflect your expertise, knowledge and commitment to service in the area of international business credit and financial management.

CICE applicants will author and submit a writing on an international business credit and related trade services topic. Any topic considered of interest to the international business credit professional will be considered by the committee. The outline for the paper, which will include its topic and scope, must be approved by the CICE Accreditation Committee. All papers must be submitted within six months of receiving topic approval by the committee. Time extensions will be considered only for extenuating circumstances and may be granted for not more than six additional months depending on professional obligations.

While not all encompassing, appropriate topics include:

Security Instruments (Letters of Credit, Guarantees, Avals, etc.)
Documentary Collections
International Trade Finance Techniques
International Risk Management
Country Risk Analysis
International Banking
International Credit Procedures
Foreign Currency Exposure Management
International Collection Practices
International Financial Statement Analysis
International Contracts
International Commercial Law and Bankruptcy

Critical to this project is that the CICE applicant present a fully developed writing or piece of original research on the chosen topic. The paper may be an examination of an executive process, a study that follows the research process and may be original research, a replication of a previous research study, a historical study, a descriptive study or other contemporary research activity.

As a CICE candidate, your responsibilities include:

Organizing and presenting advanced-level content accurately and easily readable.

Presenting the work clearly in correct form: organization, sentence structure, paragraphing, punctuation and spelling.

Assuring correct form and accuracy of information in quotations, bibliographic citations, tables and other illustrative materials.

Making all of the corrections as reasonably requested by the Accreditation Committee.

Meeting the six-month time limit for the submission of the final paper to FCIB.

Proper acknowledgment of the use of the work of others and identification of all quoted or paraphrased material in the paper should be of prime importance. All of the sources used must be clearly documented. Any ideas taken from another source, with the exception of those commonly known or available from any alternate sources, must be cited.

In order to include items protected by copyright, written permission must be obtained from the author or publisher. The United States copyright law is Public Law 94-533 (90 Stat 2541). The doctrine of "fair use" provides that extracts and quotations may be used to a limited extent for purposes of illustration and criticism. The provision would cover most quotations in professional publications, especially from research studies.

Generally speaking, permission from the publisher is needed to quote a passage of significant length, which is approximately 200 or more consecutive words, or to use a number of short quotations from a copyrighted book. Copyrighted material, such as photographs, line drawings, cartoons, charts, forms, questionnaires, slides, no matter how short, should never be reproduced without permission.

A style manual can be consulted for editing and formatting purposes. Style manuals are widely available at most bookstores or related internet websites.

Papers may be submitted in the language of the writer, however an English translation, consistent with contemporary standards of English usage, must also be submitted at the same time. This standard also applies to native English speakers.

All papers must be submitted in an electronic format, either by 3-1/2 inch floppy disk or by e-mail attachment. Papers should be written using a widely acceptable word processing program such as Microsoft Word®. The word processing program used to prepare the paper, including the version of the program, should be noted on the label of the disk. Disks will not be returned and become the property of FCIB-NACM. The disk submitted should also be clearly labeled with the candidate's name, company, mailing address information and phone number. Of course, candidates are urged to properly protect the disk for mailing purposes. A printed "hard" copy of all papers should accompany all submissions to FCIB by traceable mail carrier or courier to ensure delivery receipt.

All papers will be judged on both content and writing style. It is understood that all papers are submitted and accepted with the implied permission for FCIB to publish them at some future date, with appropriate attribution, unless otherwise requested in writing by the applicant.

Each paper will be scored using the following four criteria:

The topic's geographic implication: This element takes into account whether the topic is global in nature or applies to a specific region of the world.
Overall content: This element is used to assess the presentation of the issue, and how well it is defined.
Overall organization: This element is used to assess whether the topic is clear, well developed and well documented.
Style and syntax: This element is used to assess whether language is consistently apt.

The Accreditation Committee
The CICE Accreditation Committee is comprised of active participants in the international business, credit, trade and finance fields.

The committee must reach a majority agreement for the approval of all candidate application forms and of all phases of the research paper, including the approval of the topic and final paper. In the event of a tie committee vote at any phase, a highly regarded individual preappointed by the Committee, with extensive international credit, risk management and related trade services credentials will cast the deciding vote.

Please contact FCIB with questions about the CICE Professional Designation.
8840 Columbia 100 Parkway
Columbia, MD 21045-2158
Tel: 410/423-1840
Fax: 410/423-1845
Web: www.fcibglobal.com