ACT Middle East Treasury Awards 2011

Congratulations to the winners and highly commended of the Middle East Deals of the Year Awards. This is the third year of these awards and each year they have grown in significance and stature, as is clear from the quality and quantity of the nominations we received.

Perhaps even clearer evidence is the fact that we have added another category to the awards for this year – corporate finance makes its debut – and that the Treasury Team of the Year Award has been split into two: large enterprise and small and medium-sized enterprises, reflecting the breadth and depth of entries received in the category.

This remains a difficult environment for corporate treasurers and their businesses. The judges applaud the good and innovative treasury practice they saw from all who were nominated.

I would like to thank my fellow judges – who are all treasurers or advisers working in the Middle East – for their hard work and insights in evaluating the deals. They brought a wealth of treasury, corporate finance and banking experience to bear as well as their intimate knowledge of the different aspects of the markets in the region.

A glance at the winners’ table will confirm that in every judging process there are potential conflicts of interest. So it is worth reiterating that whenever this situation arose the relevant judge withdrew from the process and decision-making.

These awards recognise the work of some outstanding treasurers and their teams in circumstances which have been difficult for a number of years. Treasurers remain a vital part of the senior management team, ensuring that their company maximises its chances of success.