A very happy New Year to all our readers. I hope you were able, at least temporarily, to dispel the economic, political and social gloom that descended before Christmas and has re-emerged with the first hangovers of January. I am afraid I can’t do much to dispel the mood, other than to reiterate that it is in this sort of climate when treasurers should be coming to the fore and really be able to prove their value, whether as a cost or profit centre. The value in getting The Treasurer this year will come from a mixture of practical and technical articles and features which will help treasurers in the key aspects of their job. These include:
Other topics we will re-visit with a fresh look later in the year, include Outsourcing, Careers, Corporate Finance and Foreign Exchange. We will also be including extended features on key subjects such as Money Market Funds, Europe, European Enlargement and Technology.
An early highlight of the year comes with another valuable resource from the Association: The Treasurer’s Handbook, sponsored by JPMorgan Fleming Asset Management for the first time. The 2003 edition will be landing on members’ desks in late February. It has been given a major overhaul and now examines treasury issues from the perspective of view of an international treasurer.
January is the traditional time for navel-gazing and I have been reflecting on how the magazine, as well as the Handbook, needs to evolve to meet the needs of members and readers. The Editorial Committee and the team here at Ocean House have a difficult balancing act – the readership is broad, ranging from senior treasurers and CFOs at FTSE100 multinationals to students just starting out on a career in treasury – and we have to try to meet all your needs. I hope we are serving you well but it is vital that you let us know what you think.
The fundamentals which I believe we must hold to are that we maintain our focus on treasury issues and that we continue our insistence on quality. But there are some key issues where we need your input: is our coverage too technical?; is it too ‘high-faluting’? should it be more international?; do you want more news? We will be sending out a questionnaire to a number of readers and would be grateful if you could respond – it is your magazine, and we need to know what we are doing right and where we are going wrong.
I am also more than happy for you to let me know what you think directly at mhenigan@treasurers.co.uk or +44 (0)20 7213 0723. But please be gentle with me – I can only take so much gloom!
MIKE HENIGAN
Managing Editor