Tag Archive for: education

Commercial Paper – alternative short term funding

| 03-01-2018 | treasuryXL |

 

There are many different products that a company can use to meet its funding requirements. These products mainly fall into (but are not exclusive to) 2 major categories – equity or debt. Within both categories that are many different bespoke products that can be used. Debt can be either for long term or short term – both in respect to the tenor and the interest rates. Furthermore, interest rates can be fixed or floating. In this series we shall be looking at popular products that are used to help fund a business.

Definition
Commercial Paper is a money market product issued by large companies to receive funding for short term needs. The tenor (maturity) is normally for a short period up to 270 days. The paper is a promissory note that is unsecured – there is no collateral/security offered against the paper. As such Commercial Paper is normally only ever issued by large well-known companies who have credit ratings.

How it works
When a company needs short term funds it can issue paper (promissory note) against receiving the funds. Issuance can take place either via a recognized dealer who can sell the paper into the money markets, or paper is directly issued to an investor who wishes to buy and hold the paper until maturity. Paper is normally issued at a discount to its face amount and redeemed at par.

The programme
Commercial Paper is subject to a company issuing a programme. This provides details as to the maximum amount that can be borrowed; the lifetime of the programme; registered dealers etc.

Why borrow?
Commercial Paper allows a company to be flexible in its short term funding. Yields are, traditionally, lower than bank borrowings and are not subject to additional bank covenants. A company can benefit quickly from changes in interest rates. It is both a quick and inexpensive way to raise short term working capital.

Why lend?
It allows lenders to get a better yield than available if they placed their funds on deposit with a bank. The paper is negotiable – this means that the paper can be sold on in a secondary market. If a lender suddenly had a funding issue, they could sell the paper to a third party, rather than approaching their bank for funding. As the issuers have credit ratings, it is possible to apply your own criteria with regards to who you will accept as a counterparty.

Lionel Pavey

 

Lionel Pavey

Cash Management and Treasury Specialist

 

 

Financial Options – the right but not the obligation

| 05-12-2017 | treasuryXL |

Debt ComplianceIn the financial industry an option is an instrument, based on financial derivatives, that enable the buyer of the option to obtain the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying product/asset at an agreed price on or before a certain date in the future. As simple descriptions go, this requires a lot of understanding about different subjects. It is the intention of this article to clearly explain all the terms mentioned above.

 

Financial derivative
The value of an option is specifically linked to the price of an asset – referred to as the underlying instrument. This could be a share, bond, currency pair, interest rate etc.

Right, but not the obligation
When you purchase an option, this gives you the right in the future to exercise the option with the counterparty. However, you are not obligated to exercise your right.
If you have bought an option with the right to buy an asset, but the price of the asset at maturity is lower than the agreed price on the option, you are not obligated to buy the asset as it would be cheaper to buy the asset in the open market at the lower price. However, the seller of the option always has the obligation to sell to you if you exercise your option

Agreed price
This is called the strike price – it is a fixed price. If you purchase an option that gives you the right to buy the underlying instrument at EUR 65 and the market price rises to EUR 75, then you would exercise your right under the option to receive the underlying instrument at EUR 65 and either hold or immediately sell at EUR 75 for a profit (as long as the premium was smaller than EUR 10).

Buy or Sell/Call or Put
If you want the right to buy an asset in the future you purchase a Call option.
If you want the right to sell an asset in the future you purchase a Put option.

Agreed date
This is called the expiration date and means that after that date no future transaction can be derived from the option – the option expires on that date.

Premium – the cost
When you purchase an option, the seller receives a financial settlement upfront. This is called the premium. As an option can be compared to an insurance policy, the premium on an option is similar to the premium paid upfront on an insurance policy.

Premium – the price
Major components used to determine an option price include interest rates, time to expiry, volatility, intrinsic value and the current asset price. Interest rates are used to determine the time value of money between now and the expiry date. Volatility is a measure of the dispersion of the price as in statistical analysis – volatility is another word for uncertainty. The more uncertainty there is, the greater the effect on the option price. Intrinsic value is the difference between an asset’s current price and the strike price.

The underlying
This refers to the specific asset that is being traded. Normally trading is an agreed lot size. 1 option would represent 100 shares for example.

Secondary market
If options are traded with an exchange, then there is a secondary market. You could buy an option, see the price rise, but consider it would not reach the strike price. Your option could then be sold to a third party via the exchange for a higher price than the premium you paid.
If you trade privately (over-the-counter) then your option can not be sold to a third party.

Types of Options
American – can be exercised on any day before or on expiring date
European – can only be exercised on the expiry date
More exotic variations like Bermudan, Binary and Exotic

Why trade Options?
Options give you exposure to an underlying asset at the cost of the premium as opposed to the full face value. This means your position can be leveraged for the same sum of money. If you hold an asset, you can also write the underlying option – a strategy called covered option. You own the asset and receive the premium reducing the cost of the asset. But if exercised, you must deliver the asset.
You could be looking at an acquisition – by purchasing options you would have the opportunity to buy the underlying at agreed prices before the market moved up. If the acquisition fell through, it would only cost you the premium.

Options that you did not know you had bought
Early repayment of a mortgage without a penalty is a form of embedded option.
Bonds that have a convertible character – exchange at a pre-agreed price for stock
If you have arranged a credit facility via a bank for an agreed period of time, you have paid for the option to drawdown against the agreed line of credit.

Who wins?
Studies show that 75% of all options that are purchased expire without being exercised. Obviously, the winners are the writers of options as they receive the premium but are not obligated to perform. This is mostly due to changes in the market or the timing being wrong. If you purchase a call option, then you must add the premium to the strike price to obtain your gross purchase price. Only if the price rises above the gross price is it rewarding to exercise the option.

Lionel PaveyLionel Pavey – Cash Management and Treasury Specialist

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Extra Voorlichtingsavond PGO Treasury Management & Corporate Finance op 14 december

| 30-11-2017 | Robert Dekker |

Post Graduate OpleidingOp donderdagavond 14 december 2017 vindt er een Extra Voorlichtingsavond plaats voor de Postgraduate opleiding Treasury Management & Corporate Finance, aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Dit is de laatste kans voor geïnteresseerden in de opleiding die het programma in het Nederlands willen volgen.

Deze extra voorlichtingsavond is bedoeld voor geïnteresseerden die per 1 februari 2018 willen instromen. Gezien het feit dat we vanaf 1 september 2018 de opleiding (in principe) alleen nog in het Engels aanbieden, en we geïnteresseerden in de opleiding nog een allerlaatste kans willen geven het programma in het Nederlands te kunnen volgen, hebben we besloten de mogelijkheid te bieden om per 1 februari 2018 in te stromen. Dat kan, omdat wij de opleiding modulair georganiseerd hebben, hetgeen ons in staat stelt 2 keer per jaar studenten te laten instromen, namelijk per 1 september en per 1 februari.

Wellicht ken je gegadigden in jouw professionele omgeving die geïnteresseerd zijn in deze opleiding. Zij zijn van harte welkom om een indruk van de opleiding te krijgen en kennis te maken met de programmadirectie, docenten en (ex-)studenten.

Programma Extra Voorlichtingsavond 14 december 2017:
18:45 uur             Ontvangst in de Agorafoyer
19:00 uur             Start voorlichting
20:00 uur             Einde

Wij zien ernaar uit je donderdagavond 14 december aanstaande te ontmoeten.

Locatie
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam
Zaal Agora 5 (hoofdgebouw, 3e etage, A-vleugel)

Aanmelden en informatie
Wij weten graag vooraf op hoeveel mensen we kunnen rekenen. Aanmelden kan door contact op te nemen met:
Nicole Lijs via 020-598 2171 of [email protected].

Robert Dekker – Program director postgraduate program treasury & corporate finance at the VU University

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How does a FX Forward transaction work?

| 27-11-2017 | treasuryXL |

 

FX Forward Contract

A Foreign Exchange Swap (also known as a FX Forward) is a two-legged transaction where one currency is sold or bought against another currency at a determined date, and then simultaneously bought or sold back against the other currency at a future date. Normally this means the first transaction would take place at the prevailing spot rate and settle on the spot date, whilst the forward transaction would prevail at an agreed forward rate and settle on the agreed forward date. The difference between the Spot price (or first price) and the Forward price (or second price) represents the FX Forward and is expressed as Swap points.

 

Read more about the types of Forward Contracts


What are Swap points?

Swap points represent the cost of borrowing one currency, whilst simultaneously lending another currency for a time period equal to the swap period. Swap points are therefore the cost of carry netted out between two currencies and used to adjust the existing Spot price to express the Forward price.

Worked example

Currency 1 ABC
Currency 2 XYZ
Period 6 months
Days in period 183
Interest rate 6 months ABC 4%
Interest rate 6 months XYZ  7%
Spot ABC/XYZ 2.1025

For ABC 1,000,000.00 there are XYZ 2,102,500.00

ABC 1,000,000.00 * (1+4/100*183/360)     = ABC 1,020,000.00
XYZ 2,102,500.00 * (1+7/100*183/360)      = XYZ 2,177,313.96

XYZ 2,177,313.96/ABC 1,020,333.33 = 2.1339

Swap points = +/+ 314 pips

What does this mean?

The Forward price of 2.1339 is higher than the Spot price of 2.1025 and means that the currency ABC trades at a forward premium to currency XYZ. Therefore, the Swap points of 314 pips are added to the current Spot price. A bank that is quoting would only quote the Swap points. A two-way quote would look something like 304/324. At 304 the bank would sell and buy ABC – spot against 6 months – against buying and selling XYZ. At 324 they would do the complete reverse.

So is the Forward price the same as a future?

No, the Forward price is not an attempt to determine the future value of currency ABC expressed in the price of currency XYZ. It is a price that is derived by notionally hedging the notional values of both currencies against their respective interest rates that are applicable at that moment in time. The Forward price is an example of interest rate parity – a state of non-arbitrage or equilibrium where traders are indifferent to either as there is no monetary advantage in either. Forwards are traded ‘Over the Counter’ and not via an exchange. Regardless of what the future value of spot ABC/XYZ is, once the trade has been executed there can only ever be opportunity loss or profit in the bookkeeping.

Variations

FX Forwards can also be forward starting – a client might wish to create/hedge an exposure starting in 4 months’ time and with a tenor of 6 months. This would be seen as a 6 month starting in 4 months’ time – or a 4m*10m. Such a Forward would be calculated from the present spot to both 4 months and 10 months, with the present Spot rate adjusted for the Forward price for 4 months to reflect the new starting price.

Alternatively, instead of swapping a position, a client might just wish to hedge their exposure/obligation in the future by trading ‘Outright’. If they were to buy ABC forward they would enter into a FX Swap (sell ABC at spot and buy forward) and then immediately buy ABC at spot, offsetting the spot leg of the FX Swap.

What moves the price?

Changes in the underlying interest rates of both currencies will affect the calculation. Also as the interest rate differential of the two currencies is expressed as a price of the existing spot rate, changes in the spot rate will also cause changes in the outcome of the calculation – though generally smaller than those caused by changes in interest rates.

Why trade FX Forwards?

FX Forwards allow a company to hedge future exposure/obligations. Once the contract has been struck that value is confirmed and is not subject to ‘mark-to-market’ variation orders as happens with an off-balance-sheet instrument. An exposure in one currency can be transformed into another currency via use of a FX Forward. An expected inflow or outflow that is delayed can be rolled forward by using a FX Forward.

Lionel Pavey

 

 

Lionel Pavey

Cash Management and Treasury Specialist

 

 

How does a FX spot transaction work?

| 14-11-2017 | treasuryXL |

Every day we enter into transactions in our own domestic market. Goods are priced in our own currency and we settle purchases in our own currency. Here in the Netherlands that means everything is priced and settled in Euro’s. It is a clear and concise system – of course we might argue about the price of goods, but that is another matter. Now consider what happens when we sell our goods to a counterparty domiciled in a different country – we shall assume from the United States. We would prefer to invoice in EUR as this is our domestic currency, whilst our counterparty would prefer to settle in USD. This makes sense as in both instances neither of us would be exposed to fluctuations in the exchange rate between the EUR and USD.

There are 3 basic choices to trade with a foreign based counterparty:

  • Price in our currency, but run the risk that they will not trade with us
  • Price in their currency, win the trade but do nothing about the risk
  • Price in their currency, but adjust our price for the perceived FX risk and sell their currency for our currency as soon as the deal is closed

As we are keen to expand our export markets we agree to charging the buyer in USD, but what price should we charge in USD? By accepting payment in USD we are now assuming a foreign exchange risk as the value of the USD could fall in relationship to the EUR before we have sold the USD for EUR. If the fall was large it could take away all our profit from the original transaction, possibly even leading to a loss on the order.

We must therefore enter into a transaction to sell USD and to receive EUR to book our profit and to neutralize the FX risk. This leads us into the world of Foreign Exchange (FX) trading.

In FX trading quotations are always shown for a pair of currencies such as EUR/USD – but what does this mean?

  • The first currency – EUR – is called the base currency
  • The second currency – USD – is called the quoted currency
  • The spot rate is shown as 1.1595
  • This means that every unit of the base currency is equal to 1.1595 units of the quoted currency

If our order was for EUR 100.000,00 then the USD equivalent would be USD 115.950,00

In this example it is the USD price that fluctuates as it is the quoted currency, but this does not mean that fluctuations are only caused by changes in the value of USD. The value can also fluctuate because of changes in the value of EUR – even though this is the base currency.

Most major currency pairs are quoted to 4 decimal places – with the 3rd and 4th places being called “pips”. Pips are the expression traders use to describe their profit or their market spread.

If we traded EUR 1 million into USD, we would have an equivalent of USD 1.159.500,00

The value of 1 “pip” would be USD 100,00

When we approach a bank for a quotation in spot EUR/USD, the bank quotes a 2-way price such as 1.1592/97

The lower price – 1.1592 – represents the bank’s bid price. This is the price at which the bank buys EUR and sells USD.

The higher price – 1.1597 – represents the bank’s offer price. This is the price that at which the bank sells EUR and buys USD.

If the bank quoted this price into the market and one clients hit the bid at 1.1592 and another took the offer at 1.1597, both in EUR 1 million, then the bank would book a profit of USD 500,00 – or a profit of 5 pips on EUR 1 million.

FX is one of the largest markets in the world – daily turnover exceeds USD 5 trillion per day. That means 5 followed by 12 zeros – every working day.

With such a large daily turnover, prices are constantly changing. The market consists of price makers (who make the prices), price takers (who take the prices), intermediaries like brokers who assist the market by transmitting the prices and placing orders, and clients who place orders at specific levels. Prices are only valid for a few seconds before they change either because the market has traded on the quoted price or a new order replaces the existing price.

When you trade on the quoted price then you have entered into a binding contract with the counterparty. Settlement is normally 2 working days after the trade date. If you sell USD then you must ensure your counterparty receives the agreed USD amount on their account in 2 working days, and you receive the agreed EUR amount on your account in 2 working days.

Trade settlement is very important and means that you must have a complete operational procedure in placing to effect settlement, establish positions, agree counterparties, have trading limits etc.

Traditionally spot FX trades were done with banks. Now trades can also be transacted via electronic exchanges, electronic brokers etc. It is always important to know who your counterparty is – it could be that your internal operational control prohibits you from trading with specific counterparties.

Most major currencies can be traded against each other without restrictions such as exchange control. Therefore, currency pairings can be found everywhere such as USD/JPY and EUR/GBP and ZAR/CHF.

Spot FX transactions are not traded on listed exchanges; these trades occur “over the counter” with a clearly identifiable counterparty.

 

Lionel Pavey

 

 

Lionel Pavey

Cash Management and Treasury Specialist

 

What do you want to know about Treasury?

| 30-10-2017 | treasuryXL |

It has always been our mission to promote Treasury as a profession and to increase the awareness of Treasury within business. Currently there are more education choices for students to study and appreciate Treasury, but we still felt there was a gap – knowledge for anyone who was genuinely interested in learning more about Treasury.

With this in mind, we decided to proactively launch a new initiative – Treasury for non-treasurers. We consider this as our call to action.

Who are these people?

These can be students; career professionals in other disciplines who are curious; people in the finance industry who are considering either a career change or specializing in the field of Treasury; anyone who just wants to understand what a treasurer does on a day-to-day basis.

What is our aim?

Having always written for the professional, we were confronted with the challenge of getting our information across to people who do not have in depth knowledge. After a lot of research and analysis we decided that the best approach would be to attempt to simply explain the workings of Treasury, without going into too many technical details.

What will be in our articles?

With our knowledge, that relies also on the invaluable input of our expert community, we are considering a framework encompassing such topics as:

  • Treasury department – roles and responsibilities
  • Financial products for trading – Spot FX, Forwards, Options, Futures
  • Financial products for liquidity – deposits, loans, commercial paper
  • Financial products for financing – private placements, bond issues, equity
  • Cash flow forecasting – models and procedures
  • Working Capital Management – payables, receivables, inventory
  • Risk management – interest rate, FX, commodity, credit, liquidity, operational
  • Fintech – Treasury Management Systems, inhouse, exchanges
  • Cash concentration – physical sweeps, notional pooling, overlay structures
  • Education – study, on-line courses, sources of data
  • Economic and political – inflation, unemployment, leading and lagging indicators

This is a comprehensive and challenging list – but not impossible – which will, hopefully, increase people’s understanding and perception of the treasury function.

What we need?

Feedback – and plenty of it please.

These articles will not be written chronologically but, if there are certain topics that you wish to have explained then please do not hesitate to contact us. It is only with your input that we can truly create a service to meet your demands. We think we know what you would like to know, but only you can tell us!

What next?

Hopefully, when the series is a success, we can consider publishing e-books. Credit would always be given to those they have taken their time and effort to impart their knowledge and wisdom to others.

Who are you?

Please feel free to contact us and let us know more about you:

  • What is your profession/vocation?
  • What industry do you work in?
  • What interests you about Treasury?
  • Are you interested in making career choices?
  • Need help for your company, but are too small to have in-house expertise?
  • What do you think about the finance industry?
  • What do you think about the EURO?
  • How about Brexit?

So, come back regularly and watch this space!!

Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.

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Voorlichtingsavond PGO Treasury Management & Corporate Finance

| 20-10-2017 | Robert Dekker |

Logo - VU AmsterdamOp donderdag 9 november 2017 vindt de voorlichtingsavond voor de Postgraduate opleidingen, waaronder de opleiding Treasury Management & Corporate Finance, van de School of Business and Economics van de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam plaats.

Deze voorlichtingsavond is bedoeld voor geïnteresseerden die per 1 februari 2018 willen instromen. Dat kan, omdat wij de opleiding modulair georganiseerd hebben, dat ons in staat stelt 2 keer per jaar studenten te laten instromen namelijkper 1 september en per 1 februari.

Een ieder die geïnteresseerd is in de opleiding is van harte welkom om een indruk van de opleiding te krijgen en kennis te maken met de programmadirectie, docenten en (ex-)studenten.

De ontvangst is om 18.00 uur in de Foyer van de Agorazalen. Vanaf 18.30 uur vinden de voorlichtingsrondes plaats. Om 20.30 uur begint de voorlichting voor de opleiding Treasury Management & Corporate Finance. Na afloop is er gelegenheid om vragen te stellen.

Programma
18.00 uur > Ontvangst met koffie/thee en broodjes
18.30 uur > Voorlichtingsronde 1
19.30 uur > Voorlichtingsronde 2
20.30 uur > Voorlichtingsronde 3 – Treasury Management & Corporate Finance (RT)
Na afloop > Gelegenheid tot vragen stellen

Locatie
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Agorazalen, De Boelelaan 1105 (hoofdgebouw, 3e etage)

Aanmelden en informatie
Wij weten graag vooraf op hoeveel mensen we kunnen rekenen. Aanmelden kan via VU PGO voorlichtingsavond

Voor vragen/contact
Nicole Lijs
Postgraduate opleiding Treasury Management & Corporate Finance
020-598 2171/ [email protected]

Robert Dekker – Program director postgraduate program treasury & corporate finance at the VU University

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Microsoft Coco Framework: blockchain game changer?

|18-9-2017 | Carlo de Meijer | treasuryXL

Microsoft recently announced the introduction of the Coco (or Confidential Consortium) Framework. A ‘first of its kind innovation’ as they named it, designed to work with any ledger or operating system. CoCo is a blockchain protocol technology aimed to make it easier to build enterprise networks quicker and more secure using any distributed ledger. Our expert Carlo de Meijer explains the relevance of the new technology for confidential consortiums in an article on LinkedIn.
We present a short summary of the article.

What’s the issue?

Corporate interest in blockchains is firmly growing. Embracing this innovative technology however remains a big hurdle for most enterprises, as there is no unified approach in this regard. As a result they have difficulties integrating in into their systems.

There are many different blockchains, but major blockchains are not designed to be interoperable with one another. As enterprises look to apply blockchain technology to meet their business needs, they’ve come to realize that many existing blockchain protocols fail to meet key business requirements. The problem is that most blockchain protocols today require complex development techniques to meet the operational and security needs of enterprises.
Issues like performance, confidentiality of data, governance and required processing power are still major stumbling blocks for using blockchains. One of the other key enterprise blockchain problems is that of access controls for transactions.

What is the Coco Framework?

The Coco Framework is an open-source Ethereum-based protocol, designed to provide high-scale and confidential blockchain networks for enterprise purposes. It should be seen as the foundation of blockchain for the enterprise.

It is designed to work with any ledger or operating system. It can connect existing blockchains with one another. The Framework is targeted especially for consortiums where nodes and actors can be controlled.

The Coco Framework is built to address some of the current limitations of enterprise blockchain. It is meant to reduce the complexity currently associated with blockchain protocol technology and make it easier for enterprises to adopt blockchain technology. This by increasing transaction speeds, offering confidentiality and simplify governance decisions. The ultimate goal is to boost widespread adoption, particularly among enterprises, of blockchain technology.

The CoCo Framework is not a decentralised solution in this regard as participants will still be able to exert a high degree of control over their blockchain. CoCo is more of a distributed ledger-oriented approach than a decentralised technology.

The design of the CoCo Framework

Microsoft is developing the CoCo Framework in cooperation with Intel, JP Morgan and Ethereum. The Coco platform is designed specifically for confidential consortiums, through the introduction of a trusted execution environment (TEE), advanced cryptography and innovative blockchain-focused consensus mechanisms “to open up new blockchain enabled scenarios across industries”.

The Coco Framework needs a trusted execution environment where nodes and actors are explicitly declared and controlled because it relies on shared trust between machines running modified blockchain software in order to avoid the need for transaction verification. With these TEEs a network of trusted enclaves can be build that all agree on the ledger and Coco code they are running. Because it’s an open framework, it can also support other compatible TEEs as they become available.

The idea is that enterprises may place their blockchain code in a trusted area, which is established through integrated tools such as Intel’s Software Guard Extensions (SGX) or Windows Virtual Secure Mode (VSM). These are hardware-based security technologies that the CoCo Framework uses to improve the throughput, efficiency and privacy of the blockchain.

Compatibility

The CoCo Framework is designed to integrate with a wide range of blockchains and distributed ledgers. It is meant to provide the infrastructural underpinnings for the growing number of such ledgers that are emerging from different vendors and groups. Although CoCo is not an actual ledger, it will help other companies with established blockchains to come together, link with each other and built large networks.

Problems to solve

Despite taking a more centralised approach there are many benefits to embracing the the CoCo Framework. When implemented into blockchain networks and processed in a trusted environment, allowing for a “simplified’ consensus mechanism” may solve the various privacy, speed and governance issues for commercial adoption by corporates. At the same time, ”they will not lack in security and immutability”, which are two of the driving factors behind blockchain technology as a whole.

According to the Coco Framework White Paper, these “enterprise-ready trusted blockchains networks” that all agree on the ledger and the CoCo code they are running, will deliver:

  • Throughput and latency approaching database speeds.
  • Richer, more flexible, business-specific confidentiality models.
  • Network policy management through distributed governance.
  • Support for non-deterministic transactions.
  • Reduced energy consumption.

When to start?

According to Microsoft, the company has now started exploring the CoCo Framework’s potential across different industries, such as retail, supply chain and financial services.

Microsoft plans to make the Coco Framework available as an open source software project by 2018. It will be posted to and available on Github.

You can find more details about CoCo in Carlo de Meijer’s article on LinkedIn.

 

Carlo de Meijer

Economist and researcher

 

 


More articles about blockchain technology from Carlo de Meijer:

 

Introduction of a new initiative: Treasurer Development

| 1-9-2017 | treasuryXL |

Already over a year treasuryXL facilitates information exchange about corporate treasury. Contributions are, amongst others, about the development of the treasurer as a person. Due to the improved economy we notice a rising interest in this topic. Education, competence development and labour market are the most obvious examples. This is why we start the Treasurer Development  initiative.

Treasury education

In treasury education we see a rising interest from universities (also of applied science) which results in young graduates with treasury expertise. Both courses with certifications, like RT, ACT or CTP, are discussed as well as compact, result oriented trainings. Especially quick knowledge about FX and risk is in demand. The number of on-line trainings is quickly rising.

The ambition of many treasurers to have a bigger business impact results in a higher demand for training and coaching. Skills you do not learn in class. Questions like “what communication style works with an average and my CFO” or “how do I convince colleagues in an operating company to change their working methods” deserve a tailor made approach.

The labour market is tilting, the number of vacancies is rising. The way employers and employees find each other has changed over the last decade. Social media have a huge impact. Candidates do not only think about the next step but also about their career as a whole and the place their job has in life.

Treasurer Development Initiative

From this perspective a small group of professionals with relevant expertise came together to start the Treasurer Development Initiative. Questions like “how can we raise the professional level of corporate treasury and increase its impact” and “how can we introduce treasury in places where it has an added value”  will be considered from the perspective of the professional.

In our next blog we will introduce the group and inform you about first plans. If you want to contribute, please let us know.

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Banken en Financiële Markten in Vogelvlucht – Boek en e-learning voor specialisten zonder financiële achtergrond

| 21-7-2017 | Michiel van den Broek |

 

Sinds de jaren ’80 heeft er een ongekende schaalvergroting plaatsgevonden in de financiële sector. Door deze schaalvergroting hebben banken zich ontwikkeld tot gigantische financiële supermarkten die een zeer uitgebreid aantal financiële diensten en producten aanbieden. Banken zijn tegenwoordig IT-bedrijven waar een grote groep specialisten werkt met beperkte financiële vakkennis.

 

 

Mijn boek ‘Banken en Financiële Markten in Vogelvlucht’ geeft een helder overzicht ter introductie in de complexe wereld van banken en financiële markten. Bij het boek is een toegankelijke e-learning training beschikbaar met multiple choice vragen en een aantal video’s.

De combinatie van boek met e-learning biedt een efficiënte opleiding met basiskennis over de kernactiviteiten van banken, de verschillende bankactiviteiten en soorten banken, de oorzaak van de financiële crisis van 2008 en de ‘Bazelse Akkoorden’ waarop het toezicht van centrale banken is gebaseerd. Tevens bevat het een overzicht van de verschillende activiteiten op financiële markten, zoals de motivatie om bepaalde soorten financiële (derivate) producten te verhandelen, de prijsvorming en organisatie van de handel van deze producten. Ook de actuele onderwerpen risicomanagement en compliance komen aan de orde aan de hand van een aantal praktijkvoorbeelden van calamiteiten, zoals de problemen met MKB-rentswaps en de onbevoegde handelsactiviteiten van zogenaamde ‘rogue traders’, waaronder Barings Bank en woningbouwcorporatie Vestia.

Het boek is verkrijgbaar voor €25, toegang tot de e-learning kost €95.

Voor het boek en de e-learning kunt u mailen naar [email protected]

Een demo van de e-learning kunt u vinden op FTH.

Over de auteur: na mijn bedrijfseconomische studie heb ik vanaf 1990 gewerkt in de financiële sector. Sinds 2005 geef ik trainingen om ‘complexe’ financiële onderwerpen toegankelijk te maken voor professionals zonder economische of financiële opleiding.

 

Michiel van den Broek

Owner of Hecht Consult