Trealmont Trade Lane manager profiled in CITP feature
Samatha Richards earned the Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®) and FIBP® designations in July 2025. The achievement marked a milestone in her career in global logistics.
Richards entered international trade through education. She completed an advanced associate degree at Nova Scotia Community College in 2019. The program provided a foundation that led to her first industry role two years later. “My career in international trade began with an academic journey at the Nova Scotia Community College,” she said. “After graduating, I secured a position with a company specializing in the field in 2021 and have worked there since.”
The complexity of trade—and what it truly requires
Early in her career, Richards was drawn to the challenges of imports and exports. Managing documentation, regulations, and risk became central to her work. “Handling risk assessment and management for imports and exports shaped my approach,” she said. “These experiences built resilience and the ability to work under pressure in ways no other job could.”
She described a project where her analysis of shipping routes led to a more efficient transport recommendation for a key client. The adjustment cut transit time, improving the client’s market entry and strengthening their partnership. “I studied global shipping routes and advised a client on a faster transport method,” she said. “That mix of analysis, operational insight, and client service now defines how I work.”
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Richards now oversees multiple clients and has helped identify new trade lanes that supported her company’s expansion. She noted that success in trade involves more than memorizing tariff codes or agreements. “When I started, I thought knowing every rule was the key,” she said. “While that knowledge matters, the reality is far less predictable.”
Unexpected problems—port delays, errors, disruptions—are common. What counts, she explained, is the ability to adapt and maintain clear communication across the supply chain. “Staying calm and working with clients, brokers, and forwarders during a crisis often makes a bigger difference than knowing every regulation.”
The credential serves as a signal of competence to clients and employers. “This designation shows you’ve met a rigorous set of industry-validated standards,” she said. It carries weight in a field where trust is essential.
What the CITP represents and her next steps
Earning the CITP was driven by her commitment to professional excellence. “For a professional, this designation acts as a powerful signal to clients and employers, demonstrating that you have met a rigorous set of industry-validated standards,” she said.
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For Richards, it represents more than a resume entry. She views it as a tool for future opportunities, whether in leadership, specialized trade areas, or helping companies enter new markets.
Her career suggests the credential could create opportunities, but its real value will depend on how she uses it. Trade constantly changes—regulations shift, supply chains adapt, and client needs evolve. The CITP signals expertise, but solving problems in real time will matter most.
“Clients care more about your ability to fix their problems than your knowledge of trade law,” she said. That view aligns with how many in the industry measure success: not by what you know, but by how effectively you apply it.
Richards’ experience reflects a growing need in trade. As global commerce becomes more complex, demand increases for professionals who can manage uncertainty while maintaining credibility. The CITP may address that need, but the real work begins after the certificate is earned.
