Name: Cody Ankerman

Title: Category Analyst

Company: Talking Rain Beverage Company

Certification Obtained: CPCA

How long have you or your company been involved with the CMA?

Talking Rain is a CMA member. I have been involved with the CMA for a few years now and am very excited to have my certification.

Why did you decide to become certified to begin with?

I decided to become certified to deepen my expertise in category management and the CPG industry. It was important for me to gain this certification to bring back actionable insights and new learnings to the teams I support.

What was the most interesting thing you learned as you completed the training and certification?

Over the course of the training and certification, I was really interested to learn the different category roles and how they align to the retailer strategies. This was something that I could not only learn more about, but also apply to my day-to-day role with current projects. I also really enjoyed furthering my understanding on how to achieve stronger insights and reporting on limited data.

How do you feel you will use this certification in your current role?

This certification has already been instrumental in allowing me to bring new ideas and reporting to my team. It’s given me a broader perspective on our industry and a more profound understanding of how to drive insights from data, which is essential for my role as a Category Analyst.

What advice would you give someone considering completing the training and certification? 

For anyone thinking about the training and certification, I’d say it’s a smart move. It’s a proactive way to boost your skill set and stay ahead of the curve. The updated hybrid training modules made the process more interactive and engaging.