The past few years have seen arguably the greatest degree of global upheaval since the second world war, with a global pandemic, the impact of climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine all combining to create an environment of extreme uncertainty for business around the globe. This shows no sign of abating; the pending presidential election in the US, a growing swell of support for populism as seen by recent election results across the globe and recent events in Israel / Palestine will continue to have far-reaching impacts on global trade and commerce.

Whilst no crystal ball to see the future exists, this session will attempt to shine some light on what could potentially shape the remainder of 2024 and beyond – and in doing so, hopefully, allow you to start planning effectively in a world of continued turmoil.

Tim Leunig

Chief Economist / Visiting Professor
Onward Think Tank / LSE School of Public Policy

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Whilst nobody could have predicted the last few years, the impact of such a tumultuous period has been, and continues to be, significant for the global economic landscape. Given this uncertainty, creating a treasury structure which can continue to function despite the potential impact of further upheaval, is critical for group treasurers to help maintain facilitate continued growth, regardless of what the future has to offer.

This panel discussion will offer practical advice on how to prepare for the future – not to simply react to specific events, but to proactively create a robust structure which can withstand all but the greatest economic shocks.

• How can supply chain finance strategies be altered to account for greater levels of instability, as well as to protect against potential “unknown unknowns”?
• What role can the effective use of technology have in helping ensure the treasury function can help the company absorb any shocks?
• Adjusting your cash management strategies to maintain the right level of liquidity and long-term planning

Tim De Knegt

Manager Strategic Finance & Treasury and Corporate Treasurer
Port of Rotterdam

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In the future, companies with an established ESG policy throughout their business can expect to realize a host of benefits – from increased customer trust, enhanced employee satisfaction, and the ability to raise money at lower rates than their competitors. On average, companies with higher ESG scores already have better performance than those with lower scores, and they show great risk management and resilience in times of crisis.

Whilst ESG is a company-wide issue, treasurers have a growing role here – both in ensuring the business adheres to ESG regulations and in embracing the financial benefits ESG can offer their business. This discussion will focus on exploring the existing role group treasurers have in driving ESG strategies in their business and what the future could potentially hold here:

• How does an ESG-focued approach help treasurers define which banks or companies to partner with? What data should be analyzed when making these decisions, how do you access this, and what benefits can this approach bring?
• How can funds be raised via sustainable investment initiatives (green bonds etc), whilst steering clear of greenwashing?
• What role does treasury have in creating ESG reporting strategies within the business?

Tariq Kazi

Group Treasurer
Peabody

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Anne Marie Kean

Group Treasurer
ESB Group

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In November 2023, the UK government laid out potential changes to the legislative framework around prospectus regulations, proposing replacement of the current regime in the first half of 2025. This will have a wide range of impacts for financial institutions, but specifically, this may re-open a £2tn retail investor market for treasury bonds. This session will consider what this means for group treasurers, and how they make the most of this new opportunity:

• The FCA proposals in full – what will potentially be possible in 2025, and who can potentially take advantage of these opportunities?
• How can treasurers prepare for these changes?
• Understanding the investor perspective: how will investors seek to access this market, and what value will they get out of this form of investment?

James Leather

Director - Corporate Treasury Services
CORIUM TREASURY

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Mateusz Malek

Head of Bond Research & Partner
Killik & Co

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As the role of a group treasurer continues to develop, far from being a purely operational group, treasurers have a critical role to play in all areas of company success. Successful delivery of the core treasury role can ensure dynamic risk management, provide fiscal stability for the organization and provide the right environment for corporate growth and expansion. However, whilst the role of a treasury group is undoubtedly vital to continued organizational success, the ability to demonstrate this value and exert a degree of influence on strategic decisions is often a challenge for those in this role.

In this case study presentation, Michael Ben Moshe of Teva Pharmaceuticals will give an insight into how his team have used a laser-sharp focus on cashflow and liquidity management to influence company direction. Far from being an operational delivery unity, the treasury team at Teva are central to many of the strategic direction of the company, and this session will focus on the journey taken and challenges overcome, to reach a point of being a trusted partner by the business 

Michael Ben Moshe

VP Finance, Corporate Treasury
Teva Pharmaceuticals

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Treasury groups have a critical role in ensuring the successful delivery of many of the significant decisions taken by a business. Whether going through an IPO, purchasing a new company or going through a merger, or looking at ongoing business needs such as expansion or growth plans, the treasury team have to manage many of the processes inherent in ensuring the activity is successfully undertaken.

Bringing the treasury team into the decision-making process at an early stage is critical; indeed, activities such as purchases and mergers can potentially stall due to treasury integration challenges alone. As such, this panel discussion will aim to focus on the following:

• How can treasury teams ensure their voice – and therefore needs – are heard BEFORE a fundamental business decision is taken?
• What should the role of treasury be when advising on fundamental business change? Where should the influence extend to, and what is “out of scope”? How can this differ from company to company?
• War stories and best practice – what practical advice can be given to help with ongoing change?

Michael Ben Moshe

VP Finance, Corporate Treasury
Teva Pharmaceuticals

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Tariq Kazi

Group Treasurer
Peabody

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Varun Wadhwa

Deputy Treasurer
Baker Hughes

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Join us to consider how cash against data works and how this new approach to supplier finance and payments delivers big wins for treasury and finance without significant effort, and explore:

• What is the IT implementation approach needed for this approach, and how long does this take to see?
• What are the savings on the cost of goods via real-time management of working capital in the supply chain?
• How does cash against data enhance transaction-level visibility of your financial supply chain across the enterprise
• What impact does this have on e-invoicing, ESG and other new data capture / supplier data headaches
• Compatibility across existing SCF platforms

Each of the planned round tables will focus on a different area of treasury technology, and focus on the following 3 factors: 

• Where can this technology be used to greatest effect?
• How can this technology be successfully implemented, and what challenges typically need to be overcome in its implementation?
• How can this integrate with existing technology?

Each session will run for 30 minutes, following which the audience will change tables, and each round table discussion will then be repeated with a new audience