Tag Archive for: education

Four education programs for ambitious treasurers

| 18-3-2019 | by  Pieter de Kiewit |

One of our regular meeting topics is how to improve the skills of the corporate treasury population. Research for the Treasurer Test (https://www.treasuryxl.com/news-articles/treasurer-test-report-is-ready/) shows that only 20% of all treasurers completed a dedicated treasury education. I am happy I was invited to join the “Curatorium” of the Register Treasurer program of the Vrije Universiteit so I can further contribute (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pieterdekiewit/). For all people screening the (international and Dutch) treasury education market, I would like to share my thoughts about what I think are the most relevant programs, in order of investment and value:

  1. Recently the Hogeschool Utrecht started with a post bachelor program treasury management. In my opinion, with this program, they target an audience that just started working in treasury as well as a group of financials that only occasionally deals with the profession like (group) controllers, entrepreneurs, CFOs, auditors and others. It’s a great introduction program, the investment in time and money is overseeable. What I like is the fact they teach class in groups, so you can also learn from your peers. Teachers combine academic and practical experience https://www.treasuryxl.com/news-articles/hogeschool-utrecht-start-post-hbo-cursus-treasury-management/
  2. The Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) program from the US is starting to get traction in Europe too. The reviews I get from treasurers who completed the program are a bit mixed, I believe  it offers good value for money and the title behind your name is appreciated by the labour market. I did not yet hear if the difference between corporate treasury in the US and Europe has an impact on the program. Studying and the final tests are done online so you do need discipline  to complete this program.
  3. The treasury training programs of the ACT are best known in (and outside) Europe and appreciated by hiring managers. There are various modules, all together the program is more comprehensive than the one of the CTP. You also have to study and do tests online and the titles behind your name are a plus.
  4. The most comprehensive and thorough program I know is the one taught at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam: https://www.treasuryxl.com/community/companies/vrije-universiteit-amsterdam/. The post academic degree Treasury Management and Corporate Finance already exists over 20 years. In time and money, this program requires serious investment and brings the RT title behind your name. In my opinion there are two prominent differences, when compared to the previous programs. First, classes are taught at the university to stable groups. This creates a thorough exchange of thoughts and groups of alumni that know how to find each other for many years. Second, not only there is more knowledge transferred, also students are expected to digest and build upon this knowledge in an academic way.

I hope you can benefit from this overview and I do appreciate reactions. I want to wrap up with a consideration that perhaps deserves an extra blog. The above mentioned institutes have a variety of goals that partly overlap. I wonder if the profit and sales focus of some of them are in conflict with a focus on high quality education. What do you think?

Pieter de Kiewit

 

Pieter de Kiewit
Owner Treasurer Search

 

 

Why education is (not) a great investment in your Treasury Career

| 20-11-2018 | by  Kim Vercoulen |

 

Postgraduate education is a topic that returns in many of our conversations with candidates. They wonder if it would be beneficial for them to invest in postgraduate education and if so, which ones are most likely to help them further in their career. In our perception the Register Treasurer program (in The Netherlands), the ACT courses (in Europe) and CTP (in the US) programs are the most prominent postgraduate degrees in corporate treasury. 

 

Before deciding on following a postgraduate education program, I think it’s important to think about your career motivation. Based upon this you can strategize about education needed to get where you want to go. One important thing we see, is that candidates with a high intrinsic motivation and eagerness for knowledge are more likely to complete their education than the ones without. Furthermore, we also notice in our assignments that lack of postgraduate treasury education is hardly ever a deal breaker. So following a postgraduate education with the sole purpose of CV enrichment is not too smart. It does however show your interest in the field and it shows you’re motivated to expand your knowledge: it is a plus, not a must.

For some qualifications career maintenance is mandatory. For example, people with RC, RA or AA qualifications need to earn a certain amount of PE (Permanent Education) hours to maintain their basic knowledge in their field of expertise and keep up with developments in this field. And of course to keep the right to keep these letters behind their name. In treasury education, such a system does not (yet) exist. This means that keeping your treasury knowledge up to date is your own responsibility. You can do this maintenance by attending courses, visit events and invest in publishing about the field in treasury publications.

If you would like to brainstorm upon the above, please contact us and let us know what your thoughts are.

 

 

 

Kim Vercoulen

Recruitment Consultant at Treasurer Search

 

 

Masterclass Blockchain

| 01-10-2018 | treasuryXL |

Samen met IJsselvliet Strategie & Realisatie organiseert The Perfect Fit op donderdag 11 oktober 2018 een Masterclass over het thema blockchain.

Blockchain wordt gezien als de grootste IT-revolutie sinds de opkomst van het internet. Traditionele transacties worden door deze technologische ontwikkeling sneller, veiliger en transparanter: blockchain kan voor de revolutie in de 21e eeuw gaan zorgen!

De blockchain is de onderliggende technologie van de cryptovaluta bitcoin. Maar er zijn veel meer toepassingen dan cryptovaluta. De disruptieve kracht van de blockchain-technologie blijft niet beperkt tot de financiële wereld. Zo kunnen bijvoorbeeld eigendomsregistraties in de toekomst via blockchain worden beheerd. Dergelijke toepassingen zullen aanzienlijke gevolgen hebben voor de positie van makelaars, overheden, onderwijsinstellingen, controllers, toezichthouders, juristen, notarissen en accountants. Dat blockchain voor grote veranderingen gaat zorgen en aanzienlijke gevolgen zal hebben, is een feit.

Tijdens deze middag gaan we met elkaar op verkenning over de (on)mogelijkheden van de blockchain en de consequenties met toepassing op organisaties. Na een eenvoudige uitleg wat het is en waarom het mogelijk disruptief kan zijn, komen de volgende vragen aan de orde:

  • Wat kunnen de gevolgen van de blockchain-technologie zijn voor samenleving en organisaties?
  • Wat zijn nu al toepassingen van de blockchain-technologie voor bedrijfsvoering en verdienmodellen van bestaande en nieuwe producten en diensten?
  • Wat betekent dit voor uw organisatie en uw klanten? Waar zitten kansen en bedreigingen?

Praktische zaken

De masterclass wordt van 13.00 uur tot 18.00 uur georganiseerd bij Landgoed de Salentein te Nijkerk. Aansluitend dineren wij met elkaar waarbij uiteraard ook gelegenheid is bij te praten. De kosten van de masterclass bedragen € 295 excl. BTW.
Inleiders zijn de heren Erwin en Thijs Giesbers, beiden al vanaf het begin actief met de blockchain. Zij kunnen er boeiend over vertellen en doen dit uit eigen ervaring, concreet en vooral praktisch. Van harte aanbevolen!

Aan deze masterclass worden 4 gecertificeerde PE punten toegekend. Inschrijven kan via de website van The Perfect Fit of door een e-mail te sturen aan Charlotte van Weerd: [email protected] . Wilt u – wanneer u interesse hebt in de PE-punten – dit aangeven bij uw inschrijving? Graag ontvangen we dan tevens uw voorletter(s) en eventuele titel(s).

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 |

 

We are curious; Do you see foreign currency market volatility as a significant risk to your company? Poll powered by Grain
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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

 

 

Surveys Treasury Training & Education + “Post HBO Leergang Treasury Management”

| 16-11-2017 | Treasurer Development |

Both from student perspective as well as from educators we receive signals they want to invest in training and education. Some articles have been written about what is out there (read article 1 and article 2), nothing comprehensive as far as we can oversee. In order to help both parties make a proper match we think two surveys are in place. 

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Survey – Treasury Training & Education

In this survey we want to focus on what is essential for potential students. What content, investment in time & money, with or without degree, etcetera? Do students need the education to do a proper treasury job, to improve their labour market position or do they have other reasons?

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Vragenlijst – “Post HBO Leergang Treasury Management” (in Dutch)

De Hogeschool Utrecht is bezig met de ontwikkeling van de Post HBO leergang Treasury Management en stelt een aantal vragen over de praktische opzet van het aanbod, zodat ze het toekomstige aanbod zoveel mogelijk op uw behoeften of die van uw collega kan toespitsen.

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These questionnaires are a cooperation between treasuryXL, Hogeschool Utrecht, Vrije Universiteit and Treasurer Search. We appreciate your input and will post the results in December 2017.

Thank you for your input.

Due to the improved economy and other factors we notice a rising interest in the development of the treasurer as a person. Education, competence development and labour market changes are the most obvious topics this concerning. This is why we started the Treasurer Development initiative. 

Read more about the Treasurer Development Initiative

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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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