Josh Nichols has a way with customers – he is skilled at turning everyone he interacts with into an advocate. In his career, Nichols has moved from the support desk to network administrator, to consultant and customer success contact.

Currently, Nichols brings his positive energy to managing major client accounts in third party risk at RiskRecon, where he is a Senior Customer Success Advisor.  In his role, it’s imperative that Nichols be able to “talk risk” with his clients.

An in-demand professional with a full schedule – he coaches lacrosse coach outside of work – Josh Nichols needed an on-demand education in risk. Josh completed the Online On-Demand Certified Third Party Risk (CTPRP) course in three weeks’ time, fitting the course of his study into mornings, evenings and even a few lunch hours.

Why did you decide to take the CTPRP?

Josh Nichols: When I joined RiskRecon, I was interested in education that would help me talk to clients about third party risk.  I heard RiskRecon had dedicated resources for our team to get certified and was eager to take advantage of the resource.  RiskRecon now has 7 employees with the CTPRP.

When I first started my professional career, I knew I really wanted a job in computers, but I wasn’t sure what path to follow.  I tried programming for a while. Then, I tried the networking side of things. Back then, there were credentials that signaled you knew how to set up and manage a network.

Fast forward to my current position, where I am having third party risk conversations with all my accounts. I need to be able to ‘talk fraud’ – I wanted the equivalent of that network certification, but for third party risk.

The CTPRP certification says ‘I can help with your third party risk.’ When clients see that I have a CTPRP, it shows them that I understand what they’re facing, what they need help with, and how to get them there.

Did you have a lightbulb moment by taking the CTPRP course?

Josh Nichols: I assumed I was new to third party risk, but after taking the course and exam, I realize my past experience has actually laid the groundwork for success in my current industry and role.

Previously in my career, I was talking about patching policies. Now, I am talking about risk management as a whole versus one specific procedure.

CTPRP was a natural extension of my work and a solid stepping-stone for me in this field. It reinforced my knowledge of third party risk management and I am now able to connect the dots in compliance with more confidence.

What was your experience with taking a self-study On-Demand CTPRP class?

Josh Nichols: I found the Online On-Demand CTPRP to be well organized.  I was able to navigate the material easily at my own speed, taking notes and screenshots as needed along the way.

The self-study allowed me to take the course at my convenience before and after work, and during lunch on occasion.  I took three weeks to take course at my own pace.

I did study for the exam for a few days after the course with practice tests, and flashcards that I made, looking back at my highlighted notes. Then I went for it!