Financial Services

The well-connected treasurer

February 25, 2016

North America

February 25, 2016

North America
Becca Lipman

Editor, EMEA

Becca is currently a supporting editor and writer for The Economist Intelligence Unit's thought leadership division in the Americas and EMEA. Her primary focus is on healthcare policy and financial market trends. She has also recently developed research programmes that analyse themes in infrastructure and smart cities, as well as C-suite perspectives on talent strategy, small business and IT development. 
 
Before joining the EIU in New York, and later in London, Becca worked as senior editor at Wall Street & Technology where she reported on IT advances in capital markets. She previously held posts as lead editor for a US stock brokerage. Becca earned her bachelor’s degree in both economics and environmental studies from New York University.

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Building value through relationships

Summary

Corporate treasury departments used to have little visibility within companies—and were not always well understood by their colleagues. What treasurers actually did, which included managing corporate liquidity and interfacing with capital markets, was important and required considerable skill. But despite the nature of the contribution they were making, treasurers themselves were rarely seen as true business partners. “Oh yeah, you’re treasury,” said one person who entered the profession more than a quarter century ago, recalling the hazy understanding he often encountered when meeting colleagues for the first time. “You’re the guys who open and close bank accounts. You write the cheques.”

While this sort of pigeon-holing hasn’t disappeared entirely, it is decidedly less common today. Increases in M&A and in overseas business have meant a more central role for the people who understand the intricacies of intercompany and crossborder payments, borrowing from credit facilities, investing excess cash and working with credit-ratings agencies. Furthermore, technology and automation have created a sea change in the information treasurers have and in how they are able to spend their time. Treasurers today are able to devote more attention to how their companies use both bank- and non-bank systems, reassess payment strategies and instil discipline in the use of cash. These developments don’t mean there’s been a wholesale redefinition of the treasury function. But they have created an opportunity for savvy treasurers to play a more strategic role, especially for the growing number that recognise the importance of the new data that’s available and the power of relationships.

 

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