Tag Archive for: treasury management

LIVE | Deep dive session about the Philosophy of the Treasury Management & Corporate Finance programme

01-08-2022 | treasuryXL |  VU Amsterdam | LinkedIn |


(online) August 17 at 10.00 am CET, you are invited to join this expert session

 

Since 1998, the School of Business and Economics of the VU University offers the Post Graduate programme: Treasury Management & Corporate Finance. The programme focuses on professionals with an academic background in economics and/or finance and at least five years’ work experience in the financial sector. The philosophy of the programme is to develop ‘Treasury Academic Professionals’, able to analyze complex treasury management & corporate finance issues independently or in multidisciplinary teams and solve and report on them. The programme differs from other programmes/courses in the field of treasury management & corporate finance through the emphasis on developing graduates as ‘Treasury Academic Professionals’ and less emphasis on knowledge accumulating, readily available in the market.

 

Become a Treasury Academic Professional

To become a ‘Treasury Academic Professional’, graduates need an overview of the standard knowledge in the broad range of topics covered by Treasury Management and Corporate Finance and need a deep understanding of Treasury Management and Corporate Finance concepts as well in order to judge applicability, create new concepts or rapidly adjust to new concepts. This requires intellectual flexibility, obtained by regular acquisition of new (academic and professional) knowledge and being able to formulate and present on a regular basis your ‘Own Opinion’ on issues in the treasury discipline.

REGISTER TODAY | AUGUST 17 | 10 AM CET


Therefore the programme organizes frequent discussions & debates in class and in the professional network. As a result, the Treasury academic professionals are able to think beyond the standard professional practice and judge and foster new development, act as true expert professionals by executing Treasury Management & Corporate Finance with a broad perspective on the corporate board level. And most and for all: Being able to enjoy the profession!

 

Below please find our 3 pillar approach to becoming a Treasury academic professional:

 

 

SPEAKER INFORMATION

Robert Dekker is Associate Director at KPMG Netherlands. He studied Economics at the University of Groningen and did an Associate’s Degree in Risk Management at the University of Pennsylvania.

He is also programme manager for Risk Management for Financial Institutions and Treasury Management & Corporate Finance at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

Professor Herbert Rijken is Full Professor Corporate Finance at the department of Finance at VU University Amsterdam. He obtained his PhD (1993) in Physics at Eindhoven University of Technology.

His current research interests are corporate credit risk, structured corporate finance and economics of corporate governance.

 

 

REGISTER TODAY | AUGUST 17 | 10 AM CET

 

Mark your calendar for August 24 at 10 am CET

Join the live session with Pieter de Kiewit, owner of Treasurer Search.

Strategic treasury career planning and the role of education

For a long time treasury has not been a conscious career choice for most practitioners. Nowadays an increasing number of professionals, including aspiring treasurers, think about and plan their professional goals. They think about drivers, companies, job types and also education.

In an interactive webinar Pieter de Kiewit will discuss the most relevant topics in strategic treasury career planning with a strong focus on the role of education in this. His career in international recruitment spans over 25 years. For almost 15 years his only focus is on recruitment in corporate treasury. Pieter is Member of the Management Board (curatorium) of the post-graduate programme Executive Treasury & Corporate Finance of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

REGISTER TODAY | AUGUST 24 | 10 AM CET

 

Invitation Open Evening: Treasury Management & Corporate Finance | July 5 | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

29-06-2022 | treasuryXL |  VU Amsterdam | LinkedIn |

Boost your professional skills, knowledge and expertise in Treasury Management & Corporate Finance thanks to these high-level modules. Complete the programme and be awarded with the title of Registered Treasurer (RT).

The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam invites you to join the Online Open Evening on Tuesday, 5 July 2022.

Treasury Management & Corporate Finance 19.00 – 20.00 hrs.

Sign up for the Online Open Evening

The postgraduate Executive Treasury Management & Corporate Finance programme combines two finance disciplines which largely overlap and are inextricably connected: Treasury Management and Corporate Finance. For this reason, it is a unique programme both in the Netherlands and abroad. It has now been running for more than 20 years at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This postgraduate programme aims to promote development as an academic professional through a mix of academic theory and case studies of real issues in the field of treasury management and corporate finance.

Upon successful completion of this 18-month programme, you will be awarded with the title of Registered Treasurer (RT), a well-known and widely recognised title within the treasury professionals’ community. Exemptions apply to alumni of Dutch RC and RA programmes.

There are five key benefits of attending this programme

  • Broaden the perspective on the corporate treasury and finance disciplines that all-round corporate treasurers and finance professionals should master
  • Gain and master hands-on knowledge crucial in the daily practice thanks to a balanced mix of academic and professional expertise
  • Career development opportunities in a different setting thanks to the participation in the Thursdays lectures, leading to new ideas, insights and development
  • Interactive sessions are an added value of the programme, which explain and apply the main principles to professional practice through practical examples and business cases
  • Connect with the treasury community and fellow participants and build your own professional network

The programme Treasury Management & Corporate Finance at a glance

  • Start date: September 2022
  • Duration: 1,5 year (part-time)
  • Modules: 6
  • Time Investment: 130 hours per module including 8/9 weeks of four-hour teaching sessions and approximately 10 hours of self-study per week.
  • Tuition fees: € 22,500
  • Lectures:  Thursdays
  • Form: Physical classes (VU Amsterdam follows the advice of the RIVM for public health).

View all admission requirements, costs & practical information

Partners in delivering this programme are Orchard Finance, KPMG, PWC, Zanders and EY.

Best regards,

 

Herbert Rijken
Programme director

Treasury Management & Corporate Finance | Become an official Register Treasurer

23-06-2022 | treasuryXL |  VU Amsterdam | LinkedIn |

Improve your professional practice by taking a broad, conceptual and professional view on Treasury

The postgraduate programme in Treasury Management & Corporate Finance at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is running now for 25 years. In close contact with the treasury community, the VU keeps the curriculum up-to-date and relevant for professionals. Professional relevance is guaranteed by about 10 core lecturers and 20 guest lecturers from our partners KPMG, Orchard Finance Consultants, PWC, Zanders and by other finance professionals.

About the programme

The programme takes a broad view over Treasury Management and Corporate Finance from the of a non-financial corporate. Most graduates have an MSc and at least 3 years of experience in Treasury. Participants with a bachelor degree and sufficient treasury experience are successful in this programme as well

The programme offers participants an 18-month learning environment that stimulates professional development in 2 ways:

(1) Evolve as an academic professional. The goal is to facilitate the development as an all-round treasury professional. This is done by both building a sufficient knowledge base and training skills to apply general knowledge in specific cases. In addition, participants will be challenged to become experts in their own specific field of interest.

(2) Engage in career development and networking within the Treasury community. Increase your insights and expand your network in your treasury network. The programme may inspire participants to take next steps in their careers.

Along these two main lines of benefits, we are planning to give more information and explanation in two follow-up online sessions/recordings which will be posted on this platform in the coming weeks.

Why should I start with the programme?

The most important takeaway from this post is the fact that the TM&CF programme is NOT a long course acquiring just knowledge. It is much much more than that. Apart from just knowledge the programme puts a lot of attention on creative application of knowledge to your specific business situation. It trains you how to become a professional expert to some areas in the field of Treasury you have chosen. The programme helps you to connect with other members of the treasury community and to build your own professional network by connecting with fellow participants.

The programme provides you a substantial boost in your career, as the qualification is acknowledged in the labour market, and/or game-changer in your professional life as a Treasurer. It is a must-follow for all passionate about treasury. Successful completion of the programme results in the title of Register Treasurer, which is highly valued within the treasury community.

Also read: Why becoming a Register Treasurer is so much more than completing a course! (By Pieter de Kiewit)

Online Information Session | Register Today

On the 5th of July, an online information session on the programme will be given in which we also discuss the potential benefits of this program for Treasury professionals. You can sign up here.

Best regards,

Herbert Rijken
Programme director

Visit the website for more information.

For more info contact @[email protected]

LinkedIn page of the programme

Embedded Finance: What are the possibilities?

The barriers to entry that have traditionally protected the financial services sector are beginning to fade away, and incumbents now face a multitude of disruptive shifts. On the other side, customers expect real-time, seamless, and intelligent financial services. Regulation drives further competition.

Read more

Invitation Extra Open Evening: Fundamentals of Treasury Management | April 21 | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

14-04-2022 | treasuryXL |  VU Amsterdam | LinkedIn |

Are you up for the next step in your career? Would you like to further develop your knowledge, skills and professional view on this fast-changing world?


We invite you to join our Online Open Evening on Thursday, 21 April 2022. Get inspired by our programme manager Robert Dekker and ask your questions during a live stream Zoom session.

Fundamentals of Treasury Management 20.00 – 21.00 hrs.

 

Sign up for the Online Open Evening


This is what graduates say about the course

Ahmed Fathi Ahmed – EMEA Sales Advisory Cash Management – BNP Paribas: ‘The certification Fundamentals of Treasury Management is an excellent way to build a solid background in a Treasury Management field. Indeed, it allows me to develop a very finest and an efficient toolbox with regards to International Cash Management, Supply chain and Trade Finance. That has helped me to better serve the large corporations that I manage in my company. Furthermore, I was thrilled to meet talented treasurers and professors which expanded my corporate network.’

Next course starting May 2022 More information & registration.

 

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

 

Best regards,

 

Herbert Rijken
Programme director

Invitation Open Evening: Fundamentals of Treasury Management | April 6 | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

30-03-2022 | treasuryXL |  VU Amsterdam | LinkedIn |

Are you up for the next step in your career? Would you like to further develop your knowledge, skills and professional view on this fast-changing world?


The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam invites you to join the Online Open Evening on Wednesday, 6 April 2022.

Get inspired by our program manager Robert Dekker and ask your questions during a live stream Zoom session.

Fundamentals of Treasury Management 19.00 – 20.00 hrs.

Sign up for the Online Open Evening


This is what graduates say about the course

Ahmed Fathi Ahmed – EMEA Sales Advisory Cash Management – BNP Paribas: ‘The certification Fundamentals of Treasury Management is an excellent way to build a solid background in a Treasury Management field. Indeed, it allows me to develop a very finest and an efficient toolbox with regards to International Cash Management, Supply chain and Trade Finance. That has helped me to better serve the large corporate that I manage in my company. Furthermore, I was thrilled to meet talented treasurers and professors which expanded my corporate network.’

Next course starting May 2022 More information & registration.

 

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

 

Best regards,

 

Herbert Rijken
Programme director

International Treasury Management and Corporate Finance

17-01-2022 | François de Witte | treasuryXL |

We would like to draw attention to the following event, which includes our Expert François de Witte. Register below to learn more about International Treasury Management and Corporate Finance.

Registration

 

In order to be accepted to this certified path it will be asked to complete this application form .

This training will be planned and will start when a sufficient number of participants has been reached. You will then be informed at least 2 months before the course starts.

However, you can still fill in your application and we will contact you.

If you do not wish to be certified but are interested in the topics, almost every course can be purchased independently by clicking on the title in the content below. This certified path is a blended training which contains both physical and virtual classroom, e-mentoring, teamwork, etc.

Description

 

The treasurer is the custodian of the company’s daily liquidity. He manages, anticipates and secures cash flows by ensuring that financial needs are covered. This cursus will give the ability to assist directly and practically the treasurer of large corporates or to take over the treasury responsibilities in a SME. The various modules will allow acquiring an in-depth knowledge of the various areas of the “Corporate Treasurer” profession.

 

Objectives

 

At the end of this programme, the participant will able to:

  • assist directly and practically the treasurer of large corporates
  • take over treasury responsibilities in a SME.

The various modules will allow to acquire an in-depth knowledge of the different areas of the “Corporate Treasurer” profession.

 

Programme

 

Module 0: Introduction to Treasury Management

Speaker: Benjamin Defays / Treasury Manager

  • Corporate Treasurer’s responsibilities
  • Cash management (bank account opening, closing, KYC, Cash pooling, Payments and bank connectivity)
  • Liquidity management (importance of working capital management,
  • Risk management (foreign exchange, fraud, credit risk)
  • Trade finance (general context, intro to bank guarantees and letters of credit)
Module 1: Financial Maths in Excel (Focus on treasury & corporate finance)

Speaker: Hugues Pirotte / Professor of Finance at Solvay Brussels School

  • Focus on treasury & corporate finance
  • Time Value of Money
  • Vocabulary
  • Compounding intervals
  • Discount and annuity factors
Module 2: Payments, Cash Management and Banking Relations

Speaker François De Witte / Consultant

  • Payments (Process, Tools)
  • Liquidity Management
  • Cash-Flow Forecasting
  • In-House Banking
  • Banking Relationship
Module 3: Trade Finance in context of uncertainty

Speaker: Benjamin Defays / Treasury Manager

  • General contact, cultural aspects
  • Why trade finance in treasury
  • Bank Guarantees, Burgschafts, Surety Bonds, Letters of Credit, Cash against Documents
  • Alterative security instruments
  • Disruptive technologies
Module 4: Introduction to Counterparty Credit Risk Management and Cash Collection

Speaker: Benjamin Defays / Treasury Manager

  • Concepts & Practices/Types of Credit Risks
  • Understanding Financial Statements and Ratios
  • Credit Scoring/Ratings – S&P, Bloomberg models
  • Collecting overdue receivables – setting priorities
  • Strategies dealing with overdue invoices
  • Debt collection services development
Module 5: Practical Aspects of International Finance Regulation

Speaker: Lievin Tshikali  

  • KYC, GDPR, EMIR, Bale III
  • International sanctions and their impact on transactions & overall business activities
  • Anticorruption (FCPA, UK Bribery Act)
  • EU competition law compliance
  • INCOTERMS
  • Drafting a contract (main considerations)
Module 6: Risk Management applied to treasury

Speaker: François Masquelier / Group Treasurer

  • FX, Interests
  • Counterparties
  • Others (Reputation, etc…)
  • Objectives of Hedge Accounting
  • Required documentation and formalisation of Hedge Accounting relationships
  • Different types of hedges (Fair Value, Cash Flow, Net Investment)
  • Booking adjustments of different hedge types
  • Typical examples of different hedge types
Module 7: Technologies applied to treasury

Speaker: François Masquelier/ Group Treasurer

  • New Technologies
    • Blockchain, Crypto-currencies, Smart Contracts
  • Treasury Console (Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters)
  • TMS, Financial Technology
Module 8: Cyberfraud: what you need to know to manage this ever increasing risk

Speaker: Thierry Hamon / Cash management & security expert

  • Getting an overview of the different cyberattacks techniques currently used
  • Understand the possible consequences of cyberfraud and what needs to be protected
  • Learn 50 ways to protect

Some homework might be proposed for some modules, there will be continuous control in the form of intermediary exams (under the form of QCM) and a final exam will be sanctioned by an attestation delivered by ATEL (The Luxembourg Association of Corporate Treasurers).

There might also be one or two “extra-activity”, such as a visit in a bank trading room or/and a special guest speaker addressing the cursus participants on a specific subject (still to be defined, optional events).

 

Target Audience

 

Anyone willing to acquire an in-depth knowledge in corporate treasury and wishing to exercise this knowledge in practice.

 

Prerequisites

 

  • Basic background in finance or accounting
  • For the Advanced Excel workshop, a preliminary (good) knowledge in Excel is required.

Course Material

 

The course material can be downloaded free of charge via your portal the day before the start of the course (download the Client Portal User’s Guide here).

 

Certificate

 

At the end of the programme, the participants will receive a “Certificate of Attendance” delivered by the House of Training, and an attestation of “Exam Success Pass” delivered by ATEL.

In order to get certified, an 80% rate of attendance and a 60% average score on the examinations are required.

The participants will also receive a one-year free membership to ATEL (www.atel.lu) giving a number of advantages.

 

Register Here

 

 

Francois de Witte

 

François de Witte

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beheer uw Financiële Middelen | Cash- en werkkapitaalbeheer

| 29-10-2021 | François de Witte | treasuryXL |

Een bedrijf financieel gezond houden kan niet zonder een gedegen werkkapitaalbeheer. In deze basisopleiding bekijken we alle inkomende en uitgaande geldstromen (debiteuren, crediteuren, voorraden en cash). U leert hoe u deze geldstromen kan beheren en optimaliseren. Een aanrader voor iedereen wie interesse heeft en de noodzaak inziet van een transparant treasury- en creditmanagement. Deze opleiding gaat klassikaal door in campus Gent.

Omschrijving

Productieprocessen, (internationale) logistieke processen en verkoopprocessen brengen grote geldstromen in beweging. Een bedrijf financieel gezond houden kan niet zonder een gedegen werkkapitaalbeheer. In deze basisopleiding bekijken we alle inkomende en uitgaande geldstromen (debiteuren, crediteuren, voorraden en cash). U leert hoe u deze geldstromen kunt beheren en optimaliseren. Een aanrader voor iedereen wie interesse heeft en de noodzaak inziet van een transparant treasury- en creditmanagement.

Voor wie is deze opleiding bestemd?

Deze module richt zich tot bedrijfsleiders, alsook alle financieel verantwoordelijken, leden van het treasury team, controllers, financieel adviseurs, accountants, accountmanagers en productmanagers bij financiële instellingen.

Voorkennis

Financieel basisinzicht is vereist.

Bijkomende info

Het programma komt in aanmerking voor 9 uren permanente vorming bij ITAA.

Methodologie

Het programma is doorspekt met cases die samen met de deelnemers behandeld worden. Naast voorbeelden uit de praktijk die de theoretische onderbouw concretiseren, is er steeds aandacht voor de opmerkingen en vragen van de deelnemers. Om deze reden is het aantal deelnemers beperkt.

Lesdata

DATUM STARTUUR EINDUUR
woensdag 01/12/2021 9:30 12:30
woensdag 01/12/2021 13:30 16:30
woensdag 8/12/2021 13:30 16:30

Meer informatie en inschrijven: Klik Hier

 

Francois de Witte

 

François de Witte

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recap #3: Round Table “Digital currencies for a digital future?” | Toekomst Betalingsverkeer

20-10-2021 | François de Witte | treasuryXL | LinkedIn

 

Here is my third and final recap where I will highlight the round table topic: Digital currencies for a digital future?

 

1. Introduction

On September 9, 2021, the event “Toekomst Betalingsverkeer”  has taken place in Amsterdam. Amongst others, following topics were covered:

  • The Fintech evolution of banking.
  • Platform strategies & developments big tech.
  • Customer experience strategies.
  • Open banking.
  • Instant payments.

I hosted two round table sessions on “Payment Challenges in a Post-Covid” World and we made a deep dive on the following 3 topics:

Click on the above links to read my previous articles where I discussed the first two topics.

2. Setting the Scene

Facebook’s Libra announcement in June 2019 has shaken up the finance industry, forcing regulators around the world to take a closer look at it. This has sped up analyses and projects around Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Moreover, the fears that the Covid-19 virus might live on banknotes and coins, fostered the development of CBCDs.

In the context of this article, CBDC is regarded as general-purpose central bank digital currency, which has 3 elements:

  • It is a digital currency and therefore only exists electronically.
  • Issued directly by a central bank;
  • Universally accessible.

Several countries started CBCD projects: e.g., China, The Bahamas, The Marshall Islands, Sweden, the UK and the EU.

For the digital Euro: According to the ECB, this will take 2 more years from now to establish its characteristics (See announcement ECB) .

3. Positioning of CBCDs versus the cryptocurrencies and the stablecoins

In the table below, you will find the positioning.

 

 

4. Current Status of the CBCDs

Below you can find an overview of CBDC adoption across global markets.

5. CBCDs: Benefits and Challenges

CBCDs offer several benefits such as:

  • Playing a role in retaining public money for general use. The increasing adoption of user-friendly digital money reduces the demand for cash, currently the only public form of money.
  • Acting as a backup for the critical infrastructure in the payment system, as physical cash currently has a function as backup during failures in non-cash payment. CBDC could serve as a parallel backup and its role could gradually become more prominent.
  • Considering the preferences of the public, related to privacy and the use of data. Some citizens and businesses value privacy when paying, as is the case with cash. Central banks could restrict the use of data generated by CBDC transactions to just that information required for public duties such as compliance with anti-money laundering legislation.
  • Facilitating financial inclusion: especially in countries whereinto everybody has access to a bank account with a commercial bank.
  • Enable new monetary policies: If central banks now want to pump money into the economy, the CBCDs are a new channel to get money directly into the economy.
  • Providing Financial security: There is less need for fractional banking and your bank can hardly fall over. This makes the deposit guarantee scheme virtually superfluous.
  • Capitalizing on « Trust », as it is supported by a central bank, whereas a stablecoin is merely capitalizing on technology and is not supported by a « Trusted » Party.

However, there are also some challenges such as:

  • Ensuring that the infrastructure for CBDC is sufficiently segregated from the current infrastructure to prevent both from becoming disrupted.
  • Time to market. The ECB is now starting to investigate what a digital euro might look like. This investigation phase will start in October 2021 and last for about two years. Other countries like Sweden and China seem to have a quicker time to market.
  • The risk that some central banks focus resources on other topics like instant payment and open banking models, rather than digital currencies.
  • A potential negative impact on the potential of commercial banks to cross-sell profitable products if customers were to switch to CBDC entirely. Banks use the payment account as an anchor to offer and grant higher-margin products such as mortgages and personal loans. Customers switching to CBDC entirely could put pressure on their profitability. The ECB took this into account by putting a maximum amount on CBCD accounts per citizen.

Thank you for reading!

To see all my previous blogs, click here.

François de Witte

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recap #2: Round Table “The bridge between customer convenience and reconciliation” | Toekomst Betalingsverkeer

04-10-2021 | François de Witte | treasuryXL |

 

Here is my second recap where I will highlight the round table topic: Request to Pay: the bridge between customer convenience and reconciliation?

 

1. Introduction

On September 9, 2021, the event “Toekomst Betalingsverkeer”  has taken place in Amsterdam. Amongst others, following topics were covered:

  • The Fintech evolution of banking.
  • Platform strategies & developments big tech.
  • Customer experience strategies.
  • Open banking.
  • Instant payments.

I hosted two round table sessions, the other round table named “Payment Challenges in a Post-Covid World”, and you can read the recap here.

2. Setting the Scene

The Request to Pay (RTP) is a payment technique allowing a business or individual wishing to receive a payment, to send an electronic request for that payment to the debtor account.

The request will be received by the payer – most likely via an electronic interface such as a mobile banking app showing the requested amount and the due date. The payer will then have some choices:

  • Pay in full.
  • Pay part
  • Ask for an extension
  • Decline payment

If the payer chooses to make a payment, the payee will be notified whether the payment is in part of in full and when it has been confirmed.

The scheme is operational in the UK.

The European Payments Council has published the first version of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Request-To-Pay (SRTP) scheme rulebook, which is expected to go live during 2022.

3. Outline of the scheme

 

Source: IS REQUEST TO PAY THE SYSTEM FOR A WORLD OF NEW NORMS? Finextra July 2020

 

4. Request to Pay: Benefits and challenges

The major advantage of the scheme is the convenience: when consumers want something, they want it quickly—immediately, if possible— and they want to pay for it as simply as possible, preferably using contactless payment. And, if possible, without even leaving the couch to dig out their card or account details.

Another advantage for the payor is that keeps a full control of the payment process.

For the Merchant, there are also important advantages, such as:

  • The follow up of the payment process.
  • The certainty of the payment: once the payment has been done, it is final, which is not the case for direct debits, where the payor has a refund right.
  • The easy reconciliation at the Merchant’s side, as the payment message in the RTP is not altered.

The challenges are to find the right and secure network to send the invoices and to channel the payments – there are already providers positioning their offer, to get the consent of the payer to receive his invoice through the RTP and to come to a standardization of the different schemes. This will be a key driver of success.

The SRTP (SEPA Request to Pay) is a good step in this direction. Following on a 3-month public consultation, the EPC expects to publish on 30/11/2021 its next rulebook (entering into effect 6 months to 12 months later – to be confirmed).

 

Thank you for reading!

To see all my previous blogs, click here.

François de Witte