The travelling roadshow that is the ACT flagship conference series added its fourth leg (to the UK, Middle East and Asia) at the end of June in Dusseldorf.
We were delighted to work closely with the German treasury and CFO associations, the VDT and GEFIU respectively and IAFEI to produce our first full day formal conference in continental Europe. And boy, did we have a show!
170 attendees from corporates based in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Austria, Slovenia, France and Greece came along to participate in a full day of presentations, panel discussions and networking, fuelled by liberal amounts of kaffe und kuchen!
There's something reassuring about a mainly German treasury audience as a further demonstration of the careful, effective way in which German business is done. However there's equally no doubt that good practice in treasury travels everywhere and the enthusiastic reaction to the programme and sharing of knowledge and experience during networking was very evident.
In a quick poll, just over 50% of the audience said that cash and liquidity management was their number one focus. It became evident however that far from being a narrow, operational based function, German treasurers are substantially raising their game in technology usage, management reporting and business integration, driven by cash efficiency. In other words a strategic approach to the treasurers role, as important to their businesses as capital structure, financial strategy and risk management.
What has always struck me form my time living and working in Germany is the comfortable affinity between Brits and contemporary Germans. From their remarkable taste for 'Midsomer Murders' to their genuine dismay at the travails of the English football team, there is clear evidence of affection for the UK and the British character. There is more here than meets the eye and I think it bodes well for future cooperation between the ACT and the VDT.
Bis nachste zeit, tchuss!
