What made you interested in completing The Association of Corporate Treasurers’ (ACT) Advanced Diploma in Treasury Management?
As an experienced treasury professional, I was keen to complement and demonstrate my industry knowledge with a suitable professional qualification. The Advanced Diploma was perfect – it’s highly regarded, and a particularly attractive feature for me was the ability to seek direct entry without having completed the earlier exams.
Was direct entry difficult?
I’d say that direct entry was daunting rather than difficult, but for good reason. To be allowed onto the course there are a number of in-depth papers required to prove that you are qualified and have experience to this level. This is a good thing as it both protects the individual and ensures that they are ready to take on the qualification, as well as providing comfort to the ACT that the candidate can cope with the level of study and the complexity of the study areas.
The sheer volume of study materials was daunting as the breadth and depth is expansive – particularly for someone who hadn’t studied for a number of years! I wanted to cover all prior study materials to ensure I had all the detailed knowledge.
Why study later on in your career?
It’s never too late to learn something new! I have really enjoyed studying, although it has been hard work with late nights and weekends. Even so, it has been incredibly rewarding.
What were the attractions of direct entry?
For those who have not had the time, inclination or opportunity earlier in their career and instead learned ‘on the job’, direct entry allows them to consolidate all their industry experience and clearly demonstrate this through study, exams, the dissertation and then a presentation.
What has been the hardest aspect of the course?
Ensuring you are disciplined with the study and ultra-organised with the reading required, the coursework, the check-in questionnaires/work and the time required to complete it all. Picking up studying after so long did require a definite change in mindset, but in a perverse way I have found it hugely rewarding. The challenge for me has been the time commitment needed – thankfully I have a very supportive family!
What do you think is the best aspect of the course?
I have enjoyed the dissertation best. It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of a subject and develop ideas in depth, particularly as you get to choose your own topic, which can be applicable to your own areas of expertise.
What are you hoping the course will provide?
It consolidates my knowledge and demonstrates the breadth and depth of my experience to date. Given that the FCT qualification is so well-known and respected, it also provides a foundation for future career moves. And, of course, I’ll get huge personal satisfaction in achieving the qualification as it has been a substantial undertaking. Fingers crossed!
What do you think of the course structure?
The course is structured as study, exam, dissertation and presentation, with marks worth 55%, 35% and 10% respectively. I think this provides candidates with a good opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the syllabus in a range of ways, and it allows people to play to their respective strengths.
The residential element of the course was key for me: you get to know others on the course and it was really useful to build a support network of peers. Those relationships helped a lot when studying: there are treasury professionals from a wide variety of industries on the course and everyone comes with a unique perspective.
What is your dissertation topic and why did you choose it?
My dissertation is on sustainable finance. I chose it as it’s something I’m genuinely passionate about and I knew I’d enjoy working on it. When discussing options with the tutors and agreeing a dissertation topic, the advice is very much to choose something you’re interested in, so for me it was an obvious choice.
On the topic of sustainable finance, I believe treasurers can wield a huge amount of power. So my investigation is focused on the scale of the opportunity, specific requirements for issuance and the process required to issue a sustainable bond for a financial institution.
It’s a really interesting topic, incredibly complex at times but hugely rewarding to delve into the detail and develop strategies for implementation.