It is ultimately responsible for the stewardship and strategic direction of the ACT and accountable to the members. Day-to-day management is delegated to the Chief Executive and, through the Chief Executive, to the Executive team.
Council consists of four Officers (President, Deputy President, Vice President and Immediate Past President) and up to five other elected members, as well as the Chief Executive and up to four co-opted members. i.e. a maximum of 14 Council members. In any year the term for Officers and elected members commences on 1 May.
The full list of Council members for 1 May 2020 - 30 April 2021 is shown below.
Further information about Council, panels and other groups is set out in the council terms of reference.
Treasury Director, Sage
I started my career at British American Tobacco as a Finance trainee within their graduate programme. I discovered Treasury during my traineeship, and joined their Treasury Front Office team after the programme. I then spent several years in Risk Management / Front Office roles within several multinational companies, as well as a few years within PwC's Finance Consulting team.
What do you like about working in treasury?
Having worked primarily in risk management roles, I obviously enjoy understanding financial market dynamics and assessing their impact on the organisation now and in the future. But the business partnering aspect of my roles is the most rewarding, as I can effectively support the business achieve its strategic objectives through advice and guidance on how to best manage its risk. Last but not least, I greatly enjoy the variety in stakeholder interaction, within the business and externally.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
Being involved with the ACT - volunteering to support ACT initiatives or just attending events - is a great way to network and find out what your peers are doing, how they may be approaching similar challenges within their organisation. The world of treasury changes constantly - organisations themselves, technology, products, regulations - and having a good network within the ACT's varied membership is an excellent way to stay on top of these changes.
What three words describe you?
Dedicated, dependable, optimistic.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
I received this piece of advice during my consulting days, but I think it also greatly applies to the world of a corporate treasurer (and anyone within the workplace for that matter). "Tell your audience a story. When you have a message to convey (work presentation, pitch, report etc), make sure to check that your objectives are clear, and your arguments are concise and well-articulated, so that your audience comes on a journey with you."
Please tell us something interesting about yourself.
I am a keen amateur of fine wines and have passed the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) qualifications, levels 2 and 3, in the last few years. Doing the WSET qualifications has been a fantastic way to learn about all aspects of wine-making and wine-tasting, but has also allowed me to meet some other wine fanatics who are now great friends.
Managing Director, Head of Treasury Advisory UK & Ireland, Redbridge Debt and Treasury Advisory
Having completed my degree in Economics from Cambridge University, I qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Financial Services Audit of a Big 4 accountancy firm in London. I then moved to Cyprus as an Audit and Advisory partner in a local firm. Most of my advisory work was in Finance and Treasury so in 2004 I qualified with the ACT in order to broaden my horizons. In 2007, I returned to London and have since been advising FTSE 350 and global corporates in key areas of treasury as well as performing numerous secondments in senior treasury roles.
What do you like about working with treasurers?
Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a treasury function which in my view is the life-blood of the organisation.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
Provide a fresh perspective in promoting and supporting our profession and the ACT to the recognition they deserve.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
To become an integral part of a community of like-minded individuals who can support each other in developing their careers and promoting the profession.
What 3 words best describe you?
Personable, principled and driven.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Sleep well at night so that you glow during the day.
Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I am a professionally trained coffee barista and roaster!
Non-executive director and Audit Committee Chair, Sumitomo Mitsui Bank Europe
Like many ACT members my first professional qualification was as a Chartered Accountant. I trained and qualified at Price Waterhouse (as it was then) in London, and after a few years post-qualification experience at PW, decided to become more closely involved in the practical side of running a business. I held several finance roles in banking and financial services and was then fortunate enough to be appointed to run a combined tax and treasury team at Standard Chartered. I now have a portfolio career, my main role being as non-executive director and Audit Committee chair at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe.
What do you like about working in treasury?
In my experience, treasury involves the most complex and interesting aspects of finance, and it’s also central to the health of the business, and forward-looking. So as a treasurer you get to be involved in everything that’s important going on.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
I am keen to promote more dialogue with members on how markets are adapting to current economic challenges, and also to help the ACT develop its global links and its recognition as a leading professional body.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
To enjoy the camaraderie of a professional body where many of the members work in corporates, so you can share common experience, which often helps to identifies new solutions and opportunities for your own business.
What 3 words best describe you.
I try to be professional, conscientious and considerate to others – you would have to ask them whether I succeed!
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Well, I’ve had lots of good advice, but the advice of a highly valued colleague to get more involved in the ACT has worked out very well for me!
Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I work with musicians involved in contemporary classical music, as a trustee of the London Sinfonietta orchestra, and chairing an experimental opera company called Second Movement.
Group Treasurer, Shawbrook Bank
I have worked in treasury-related areas of financial services throughout my career, but that has given a lot of scope for variety. It has included being part of the restructuring negotiations for Lloyds of London in the mid-90s and restructuring ABN Treasury for RBS in the late 00’s; working in Group Risk at Abbey; securitisation for Egg; leading an investment banking team at Bank of America; and being European Treasurer for both the global derivatives broker Newedge and the Brazilian bank Itau BBA. I am now Group Treasurer for Shawbrook.
What do you like about working in treasury?
There are a lot of things that I like about working in treasury, but I will name just a couple. The Board set the aspirations and vision of a company, but treasury is where dreams meet the hard reality of the external market, where the rubber hits the road. I love working in the area where you need to make theory and facts mesh together into something that works, where there is no room for pretence. I also like that fact that the people in treasury are smart and rewarding to work with.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
The ACT is a great organisation. It really sets the standard for treasury education. I want to do my bit to ensure that those standards are maintained. I also believe that for the ACT to thrive it has to ensure that employers recognise the value of recruiting treasury-qualified staff. I will add my voice on Council to try to make sure that is high on the agenda.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
It is your association, why would you not want to be involved? The ACT has an important voice on lots of topics, but it is only as strong as the collective voices of its members. The Policy & Technical team draws on the support of members to deliver its twin objectives of influencing decision makers and informing treasurers.
What 3 words best describe you?
Intelligent, determined, good-humoured.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
If you want a job for life, make sure that you have skills that people need.
Tell us something interesting about yourself.
I am a second Dan black belt in Karate. All bankers have to learn self-defence these days!
Group Treasurer, Page Group
Please provide a brief description of your career
I am a treasury professional with 20 years’ experience across various sectors including multi-nationals, NFP and large government departments both here in the UK and Australia. As Group Treasurer for PageGroup plc. currently I manage not only the treasury function but also the insurance and sanctions programmes across 36 countries. I co-share investor relations and have recently taken on the responsibility of sustainability.
What do you like about working in treasury?
In treasury, I like the fact no one day is ever the same and I meet a great variety of internal and external stakeholders. Furthermore, as a Treasurer, I can add tangible value to the entire company.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
I plan to use my experience to support the Chief Executive and wider leadership team to continue guiding the treasury profession, not only for today but for future generations. Each organisation is as unique as the individuals it employs and we must equip treasury professionals to be equally as diverse and agile.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
The ACT is an invaluable resource for treasury professionals at every stage of their career. It provides an excellence in industry training, helping members to develop their skills, their career and their networks.
What three words describe you?
Tenacious, passionate and dedicated
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given.
Listen to the words that are not being spoken.
Please tell us something interesting about yourself.
I started my career as a finance graduate at The BOC Group plc, gaining my CIMA qualification and then moving into Treasury. From there, I went on to very different Treasury functions in some different organisations. I joined Centrica plc in 2008, just in time to work on funding a major investment program through the financial crisis period, and in 2012 was promoted to Group Treasurer where I got to manage a number of new financings as well as liquidity and credit ratings during challenging periods of commodity price volatility and government interventions
What do you like about working in treasury?
I love the combination of technical challenge and applying the expertise to the business and financial environment you’re working in.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
We can face a huge variety of change and challenge in Treasury and I have seen that in my career. I want to ensure that the ACT can help provide all its members with the tools and expertise they may need for any sort of financial requirement their organisation may face.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
As Treasurers, we’re a relatively small community and we occupy a specialist position in our organisations so there is a huge amount to be gained from sharing experiences with each other. If we do it right, supporting the ACT means supporting our own professional performance and careers.
What three words describe you?
Determined, intelligent, direct
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Don’t let yourself get upset by the things you can’t do anything about. At the time, I was a graduate struggling with a printer that wouldn’t work, but I often have to remind myself of this when I want to change the world!
Please tell us something interesting about yourself.
I used to be a tennis official. I’ve been a line judge at 16 Wimbledon tournaments including 5 singles finals.
Group Treasurer, Logicor
I started my Treasury career when I moved to London from Washington, DC in summer 2009 and began working at a consulting firm as a Tax & Treasury Analyst. Following this, I joined a privately owned international industrial commodities group as a Treasury Manager. In 2015, keen to get experience in a larger, public company, I joined Capita’s Treasury team as the Treasury Integration Manager and co-head of Middle Office. However, when the opportunity was presented to join Logicor as Assistant Treasurer in 2016, I accepted the offer knowing it would be an extremely challenging but rewarding role to build the function from the ground up, and in 2018, I was promoted to Group Treasurer. I now lead Logicor’s 10-person Treasury team, as well as managing all corporate finance, capital markets and investor relations workstreams.
What do you like about working in treasury?
Treasury provides a dynamic, stimulating and fast paced environment which suits my personality well. With constantly changing markets, regulations and technology, Treasurers have the opportunity to continually acquire new knowledge for their Treasury arsenal, making each day interesting. We also have the benefit of working with various internal and external stakeholders which brings a commercial and human element to the job – it’s not all about the numbers.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
Throughout my involvement with the ACT and the Future Leaders in Treasury working group, I’ve always enjoyed creating and implementing events and programmes for members and students. With my new role on Council, I would like to take a more strategic role and work together to shape the future of the ACT. The strategies that are implemented now will affect how the organisation functions and how our members are supported in years to come. During my tenure on council I would like to help the ACT achieve significantly increased engagement across all levels of our membership.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
It’s important to get involved with the ACT as you truly get out what you put in. The more involvement we have from Treasury professionals, the stronger the organisation will be in all facets. Our collective knowledge and collaboration of our members enables positive change within the profession. As members of the Association we all benefit from the ACT’s strength and continued development.
What 3 words best describe you?
Approachable, Industrious, Adaptable.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Don’t give up what you want most in your career for what you want now. Work hard, play the long game and focus on your ultimate goal.
Please tell us something interesting about yourself.
Before I entered the world of Treasury, I was an Archaeologist and Classicist!
Simon Neville FCT Group Treasurer, Reckitt Benckiser
Please provide a brief description of your career
I started my career as a corporate accountant, and after qualifying as an ACCA, gaining an MBA, and a spell in the Middle East I was asked while at Sainsbury’s if I wanted to be a part of their newly established group treasury. I jumped at the opportunity! Too many years later, and after taking on increasingly senior roles in the UK, Hong Kong and Australia, some time in financial services, private equity and retail, I joined Reckitt Benckiser Group plc in 2013 as Group Treasury Director and lead RB’s global treasury and insurance functions.
What do you like about working in treasury?
It’s a dynamic and future orientated function, where you have a great involvement in both the strategic and operational aspects of the company on a daily basis. The ability to share experiences, and make frequent value creating decisions is quite unique.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
There is a huge amount of change happening in treasury and banking, and within the treasury profession we need to meet those challenges. I am looking forward to working with my fellow Council members to help navigate that path.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
The ACT offers excellent professional training, and, in my experience, our members are commercially very knowledgeable, and willing to share their experiences. It’s a great place to learn and develop.
What three words describe you?
Direct, fair, driven.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given.
Problems are rarely as daunting as they can first appear.
Please tell us something interesting about yourself.
I once had a piece of artwork exhibited in Delft, Holland. Sadly it was both my first and last such exhibit!
Partner, Deloitte
After my studies in Belgium, I joined BT Plc on their finance graduate management scheme. After a short stint in management accounting, and qualifying with CIMA, I rotated to their treasury function where I carried out various roles as cash manager, FX dealer and European treasury manager. I then joined Deloitte’s treasury advisory practice which I now lead in the UK, and co-lead for our European practice
What do you like about working in treasury?
Many factors. To name just a few: being the forward-looking arm of finance, intellectually stimulating topics with a healthy amount of financial modelling, matching your companies’ internal requirements with external solutions offered by the markets, and the fact that treasury never stands still.
What would you like to achieve during your tenure on Council?
Generally, support the international growth of the ACT and specifically add new perspectives on how to engage members in our activities.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
Because it’s the best forum to learn and network, and therefore benefit both your organisation and your career.
What 3 words best describe you?
Pragmatic, direct, dedicated.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
When upset or concerned about something, avoid an over-reaction and sleep on it instead.
Please tell us something interesting about yourself.
I was a synchronised swimmer in my younger and more flexible days.
Partner, Headland Communications
Before joining Headland Communications I was a Partner at Brunswick, the critical issues and communications firm. I led the global Campaign Planning offer; building long term reputation campaigns for companies across markets and sectors.
I worked for over 20 years in advertising as a Planner, responsible for creating brand and communications strategies. I have worked at TBWA/ London, part of Omnicom, on brands such as Apple, Mars, News International, Strongbow, and Thomas Cook as well as on the 2001 General Election campaign for the Labour party. I joined WPP’s J Walter Thompson in 2004, working as the lead global planner on a series of WPP’s multinational corporate clients: Vodafone, Nokia, Shell and HSBC.
I was co-opted to Council in 2015, to provide a different perspective and skills-set, most notably in branding and communication.
What do you like about working in treasury or with treasurers?
I don’t work with treasurers or treasury – but find that I can provide a different viewpoint and set of skills to Council and the ACT.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
The ACT is run by committed, expert staff for the benefit of treasurers and treasury. As an underappreciated but increasingly important profession, treasurers can benefit themselves and their profession by getting involved.
What 3 words best describe you?
Impatient. Creative. Foody.
Retired Dean, Henry Grunfeld Professor of Banking, The London Institute of Banking & Finance
After more than twenty years in a range of banking activities, lastly as the Senior Corporate Finance Officer for the UK at Citigroup, my curiosity led me to complete a PhD in finance. It seemed like teaching would come next, but the last financial crisis drew me into bank regulation first at the UK Financial Services Authority and then the Bank of England. Afterward, I had some involvement with investment management and then finally full-time as a professor and dean. I am now a board member of the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority and Kalgera Ltd, a ‘fintech’ focused on protecting the vulnerable in society. How many ways can a person think about finance? It is always changing. I am now enjoying thinking of the treasurer’s point of view. Learning and staying on top of finance have been a lifelong project for me.
What do you like about working with treasurers?
As a banker, I enjoyed building trusted relationships with treasurers. Relationships take time to build, but then can be more than business. Sharing ideas to get better deals was a great feeling. I made some great friends and we worked as partners for a long time. I’ve kept in touch with a few former treasurers long after I left banking and they left treasury. A few deal mementos still grace my academics desk and bring back cherished memories of shared success.
What would you like to achieve during your time on Council?
I would like to see the ACT thrive and hope to help it remain central for treasurers’ knowledge and advancement. I’d also like to see treasury roles gain more recognition in the wider financial education world.
Why should members get involved with the ACT?
Treasury, like many key or core corporate skills, is often overlooked while its professional requirements increase. Working together through the ACT, treasurers can improve the sharing of best practice and raise their own visibility.
What three words best describe you?
Curious, reflective and optimistic.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
‘Speak up if you have something to say’ was the advice from an early boss after a meeting with company senior managers where I didn’t know how to participate. He added that they wouldn’t know how brilliant (a large exaggeration) I was if I didn’t contribute and, more importantly, they probably wouldn’t invite me to another meeting if I wasn’t contributing. To me, this was a critical point in building my self-confidence, realising that I was an accepted part of the team and the realisation that my skills were valued.
