8 Career Hurdles in a Transfer from Banking to Corporate Treasury
| 07-07-2016 | Pieter de Kiewit |
An increasing number of bankers come to my recruitment desk wanting to make a transfer to corporate treasury. This transfer can be made successfully but there are a number of things to take into account. Below the 8 career hurdles, I hear most about, in a transfer from banking to corporate treasury.
8 Career Hurdles in a Transfer from Banking to Corporate Treasury:
- Understand the essential difference – Corporate treasury is about supporting the core business, banking is the core business;
- Translate the lingo I – Banks use different words; they talk about “transaction services” for the payment infrastructure. Within a corporate this term is often used the way auditors do for due diligence processes in M&A;
- Translate the lingo II – Banks give different meaning to the same words. An easy example is “treasury”. This is only financial markets related within a bank and a description of the whole department within a corporate environment;
- Bankers do not leave their vertical – Due to the size of banks, bankers can be specialized in one area and often do not leave their field. Corporate treasuries are often small and need generalists;
- Bankers are paid better – It is what it is.
- Corporate treasurers are not in the center of attention – Being in a supportive role, they often do not get the same respect bankers get;
- Banks provide a more extensive support infrastructure – The level of support in HR, legal, IT and other aspects banks can provide, is often not available for corporate treasurers;
- Bankers have to deal with the stigma – That they are overpaid, vain, lazy, inflexible, not hands-on and one cannot trust them.
Non of these hurdles are, in my perception, deal breakers. Bankers are often well-educated, hard-working, smart and business savvy potential colleagues that can really contribute. First, they have to deal with the above by themselves. They have to be convinced they want make the transfer for the right reasons. Then they can translate this in a proper labour market communication strategy and find the corporates that have dealt with the above.
It can be done, I am available for support. What do you think?
Pieter de Kiewit
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