Interview | Staying True in Treasury with Matthias Schmidt

INTERVIEW

Can you tell us about your move from capital markets trading into treasury back in 2009?

After almost 10 years of working happily and very freely in equity trading at a bank, this was no longer possible in the form I wanted due to the financial crisis in 2008. I looked for alternatives and then came across treasury.

Due to the difficult situation on the job market, I found my first position at a large medium-sized company near Stuttgart (500 km from home), where I got to know all areas of treasury in a small team. The connection to production and the global positioning, in addition to the diverse tasks, were reasons for me not to return to the banking world.

As an interim manager, what aspects of the role stand out to you the most?

After gaining a lot of experience in treasury, the appeal of working primarily on a project basis as a freelancer was great. Here I can incorporate my knowledge into projects in a largely self-determined way and therefore have entertaining tasks where I can really make a difference. Be it through the introduction of treasury management systems, process improvements, leadership or setting up liquidity plans or financing. As an interim manager, you can also communicate more openly and keep learning through new challenges and clients.

” I listen, take an interest in my counterpart and make sure that respect and understanding are also practised.”

In a demanding field like treasury, how do you maintain authenticity and live by your values?

It is certainly not always easy to represent your values in an environment in which you are in contact with various internal and external parties. For me, open and professional communication takes centre stage. If I don’t pretend or sell myself, my colleagues and contacts generally don’t either.

For me, a pleasant working environment includes honesty, transparency and the feeling of being seen, heard and accepted as a person with my individual strengths and weaknesses. So I also listen, take an interest in my counterpart and make sure that respect and understanding are also practised.

Which innovations in TMS and cash management are catching your attention lately?

TMS providers are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence into their systems. This makes it easier to analyse and consolidate data in particular. I also find it very helpful to be able to create individual reports and visualisations and send them automatically.

In my view, there are few innovations in cash management. It is still not easy to manage cash flows quickly and transparently worldwide. Banks are also often still very conservative.

What’s your approach to building a positive and productive team environment?

It’s important to me that people in a team communicate openly with each other at all times. Even about private topics. In addition, tasks should be distributed in such a way that individual strengths and interests are appropriately taken into account.

A good team values every team member, works together to achieve success and makes sure that nobody is overloaded. When people feel comfortable and can take responsibility, the results are much better.