Could you introduce yourself and describe your background?
Maximiliano Oliveyra, I am the Regional Manager of Structured Trade Finance for North LATAM in ADM. I have been over 20 years in finance, accounting and process management working with recognized companies from different business areas. Being highly experienced in credit & compliance risks project in leading companies with an overview of all Latin America countries, I was involved in the consolidation of several OTC process and supply chain finance, jointly developing and implementing with IT ERP tailored for a receivables fund in Brazil. Currently leading the regional structured trade finance business for ADM involved in a broad of sophisticated types of structures with cross functional interfaces and banking relations. My deep work within LATAM combining expertise in the Oil & GAS and agricultural commodities in the retail, wholesale, banking and trade finance business has allowed me to understand a variety risk scenario and to build a solid knowledge of challenges for the region.
What motivated you to choose this profession?
I have a Law degree and in the very beginning I was interested to be a diplomatic but I had to start working and life always plays their path and I had an opportunity to join ExxonMobil as a credit analyst. At the time, Exxon was building a share center in Brazil to consolidate several LATAM finance, accounting and customer service departments in Curitiba and It was a perfect match with my profile because I am fluent in Spanish and my law knowledge was required to the company project.
Why do you like this job? And what advice would you give to a person wishing to do this job?
The beauty of Credit is that it is very connected to real life and philosophy. Many things are very technical, but the combination of behaviors and unpredictable things makes the task more complex and challenging. Here are 2 pieces of advice I would give: first, in credit you always have an AR ahead, so you should never rest; and secondly, be moderate in celebrating portfolio management results.
In your opinion, what are the main credit management specificities encountered in your company and/or country?
I have been working with many countries for years therefore for each country it’s necessary to identify these specificities. In Brazil for example I’d say to pay attention with frauds.
How do you see credit management in the years to come?
I think there are many alternatives that will amplify the way we extend credit, decentralized types of payment methods, currencies and products will require a broad upgrade of credit management across the board. On the other hand, the basic view of borrowing from my perspective is pretty much forgotten, but it should come up again to deleverage unsustainable economies.
Do you use credit insurance? What do you think of it?
Sometimes. I think that it’s an alternative product, it helps mainly to mitigate risks in one side but increase in others.
How do you get through the Ukrainian war crisis, does it have an impact on your activity?
Currently, the sector in which I work was not affected as others, but inflation is bringing challenges in credit management, driven by the increase in working capital needs and the increase in its costs.
Do you use a credit management and collection software to help you in your work?
No, I don’t because I am not longer working in the credit department.