What do I need to know? It’s a question I’m constantly asking myself since recently joining the ACT events team. From bank relationships to the evolving role of the treasurer, I’m beginning to appreciate there is a lot of opportunity for treasurers to improve their day-to-day working and provide more value to the business. Concurrently, there’s also plenty of uncertainty – I think we can all agree the pace of recent global events and market volatility have had an impact on how we’re now working in the treasury space. Which leads me to ask – what do we need to know?
On 16-17 May in Manchester, we’re going to answer that question as a treasury community. The theme this year – opportunity from uncertainty – is based around this duopoly (my new favourite word). It’s looking to be something special. The programme features over 60 speakers and we are looking forward to welcoming over 1000 attendees. Let’s talk through how this jam-packed event will equip us with practical tools and knowledge to take back to the office.
Day 1
The start of day 1 has Lord Michael Dobbs (the creator of the real House of Cards, not the Kevin Spacey one!) setting the scene on how international relations and international business is changing. From there we move swiftly on to life post-Article 50 with a SWOT analysis of UK plc with S&P Global Ratings. Rather than another policy based discussion, this promises to be an extremely interesting session with an expert analysis of what’s next and the opportunity to ask any burning questions you might have.
After mid-morning refreshments in the exhibition hall, catching up with suppliers, you can decide whether to join a discussion redefining bank relationships with Vodafone, Whitbread and Alvarez & Marsal or perhaps share your views on open banking and APIs with Barclays Bank. Citi are also leading a discussion on automating corporate risk management and hedging with Mondelēz and more. After a stimulating morning of debate, next up is a delicious lunch – I can confirm this after having recently taken part in tastings!
After hearing all about the ACT Competency Framework at the ACT Hub, you have the choice of joining afternoon tracks or one of the more informal, practical based workshops. Lloyds Bank are focusing on the evolving role of the treasurer, joined by John Lewis Partnership and BHP Billiton. If tax is keeping you up at night, BP and Seadrill Management will be exchanging their views post-panama papers. The workshops with senior speakers from Tesco, Qatargas, Deutsche Bank, MUFG, OpenLink and Etihad Airways will be focusing on hot topics from leadership vs management to the journey to treasury excellence. Make sure you check out the programme to find out more.
Have you hacked Facebook? Jamie Woodruff has. In our penultimate session on day one, take part in a tutorial uncovering your vulnerabilities and what measures you can take to prevent an attack. See a live demonstration on how susceptible you are to a potential cyber threat. In our final plenary on 16 May, Andrew Garner will debate the future of business and what leadership is needed to navigate the organisation to success.
Did I mention we have THE social highlight of the year in the exhibition hall at the end of the day? The buzz of the conference will continue through to the evening – guests will experience an exciting array of street food and drinks from around the globe. Watch this space for more information and a sneak peek soon…
So, that’s it for day one at the ACT Annual Conference! We’re really looking forward to welcoming you. If you would like to know more about the day, check out the conference website and give us a call on +44 (0)20 7847 2589.
I've just joined the ACT team. If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas for interesting content or events you want to attend please get in touch with me on LinkedIn or Twitter, @jhbb
