About the ACT

ACT professional network - the route to treasury excellence

The Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) is the leading professional body for international treasury providing the widest scope of benchmark qualifications for those working in treasury, risk and corporate finance. We define standards, promote best practice and support continuing professional development. We are the voice of corporate treasury representing the interests of our members.

What can the ACT do for you?

We provide a wide range of professional development and networking opportunities centred around:

professional qualifications and training courses
conferences, briefings and thought-leadership events
publications, technical updates, guidance and dialogue.

We also work in partnership with leading accountancy bodies to offer a fast-track programme for qualified accountants who wish to gain the AMCT Diploma in Treasury:

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS)

Our structure

Council is the governing body of the ACT. It is ultimately responsible for the stewardship and management of the ACT’s affairs and accountable to the members. Day-to-day management is delegated to the Chief Executive and, through him to the Executive team.

Council consists of up to nine elected members who serve a three-year term, four Officers – President, Deputy President, Vice President and Immediate Past President – and the Chief Executive. The normal succession route for Officers is Vice President, Deputy President, President and finally, Immediate Past President with each post lasting one year.

For further information about Council and its committees see Guidelines for Council

Council members for the term commencing 1 May 2011

Officers and elected members cannot be contacted via the ACT. To speak to a member of the executive team please see the Contact Us page.

Officers

James Douglas
President
Partner – Corporate Finance Debt Advisory
Deloitte

Bob Williams
Deputy President
Regional Finance Director
Barratt Developments

Jonathan Slade
Vice President
Global Head of Corporate Finance, Rio Tinto

Matthew Hurn
Immediate Past President
Executive Director - Group Treasury
Mubadala Development Company

Elected members

Charles Barlow FCT, Group Treasurer, Coats
Graham Bond FCT, Managing Director, Treasury & Risk Management
Roger Burge FCT, Director of Treasury and Corporate Finance, Arqiva
Fiona Crisp FCT, Treasury Consultant, Crisp Consultants
Peter Goshawk FCT
Stephen Pugh FCT, Finance Director, Adnams
Martyn Smith FCT, Director of Tax & Treasury, Dyson
Alison Stevens MCT, Deputy Group Treasurer, Phoenix Group
Yann Umbricht AMCT, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Co-opted Members

Richard Dakin AMCT, Managing Director and head of Corporate Real Estate, Business Support, Lloyds Banking Group
Paul Reynolds Hon FCT, Managing Director, Head of Debt and Equity Advisory, Rothschild (Middle East)

Chief Executive

Colin Tyler

Committees

The Council is supported by a number of voluntary committees:

Education Advisory Board
Events and Publishing
Member Services
Policy and Technical

Each committee has a chairman who works closely with the appropriate department in the central office.

Advisory Board

The Advisory Board, currently chaired by Chris Jones, a former President of the ACT, consists of members drawn from senior positions in finance and commerce, including financial journalists and regulators. No serving member of Council may be a member of the Board. The Board meets at least once a year to discuss and advise on matters of importance to the ACT and its members, including commenting on the ACT's policies, governance and strategic plan. The chairman of the Board makes an annual presentation to Council.

The current members of the Advisory Board are:

Chris Jones, Partner, Financial Services, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (Chairman)
Paul Boyle, OBE, Aviva plc, Chief Audit Officer
Alastair Clark, CBE Senior Adviser on Financial Stability Issues, HM Treasury
Philippa Foster Back, OBE Director, Institute of Business Ethics
Richard Gillingwater, CBE Dean of Cass Business School
Michael Kirkwood, CMG Chairman, Ondra Partners
John Plender, Leader & Feature Writer, Financial Times
Ian Plenderleith, Chairman, BH Macro, former DG, South African Reserve Bank
Hector Sants, Chief Executive, Financial Services Authority
Andrew Shilston, Finance Director, Rolls-Royce plc
Tony Watson, CBE Non Executive Director, Vodafone Group
Rebecca Worthington, Finance Director, Quintain Estates and Development plc

Appointments, Remuneration and Audit Committee (ARAC)

ARAC is chaired by the Immediate Past President and consists of the President and up to three other non-Officer members of Council. In addition there may be up to three non-Council members. ARAC members are appointed by Council with at least one member being a qualified accountant. It meets four times a year and more frequently as required; at least once a year ARAC meets with the auditors without members of the executive team present.

The current members of ARAC are:

Matthew Hurn (Chairman), Executive Director, Group Treasury, Mubadala Development Company
Graham Bond, Managing Director, Treasury & Risk Management
James Douglas, Partner, Deloitte
Lucy Fuller, Group Treasurer, Smith & Nephew
David Timson, Senior Partner, The Curzon Partnership
David Swann
Yann Umbricht, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers

ARAC terms of reference

The executive team

For contact details for every member of staff, visit the contact us page.

Jim Benham, Head of Marketing and Communications
Melissa Brittain, Head of HR and Facilities
Pauline Coulter, Director of Conferences & International Development
Charles Cresswell, Head of Information Systems
John Grout, Policy & Technical Director
James Lockyer, Director of Education & International Development
Peter Matza, Head of Publishing
Denis Murphy, Head of Sponsorship
John Murphy, Head of Finance
Ria Robinson, Director of Membership & Company Secretary
Colin Tyler, Chief Executive

Regional Groups

There are a number of regional groups in the UK and other countries. Through regular meetings, they provide support to members, students and other interested parties. Each group is run by one or more members - Regional Group Organisers (RGOs).