I have recently been promoted to the role of Treasury Manager at Imperial Brands. In this role, I support our Assistant Treasurer with the drive, direction and challenge of the Front Office function, including the development and execution of strategies for the Group’s core financing – including bank facilities, commercial paper and debt capital markets issuance - liquidity management, interest rate risk management and FX risk management.
I started working in treasury nearly nine years ago, beginning as a Treasury Analyst within the Front Office team of Computershare. From there, I was promoted to Senior Treasury Analyst and then Treasury Specialist, whilst working through my ACT qualifications of the Certificate in Treasury and the Diploma in Treasury Management. Nearly four years ago I took the leap to Senior Treasury Analyst at Imperial Brands, where I am now very proud to hold the role of Treasury Manager. Alongside this, I also volunteer as Treasurer for the Bristol Central Speakers (a Toastmasters International club).
I highly recommend studying for the Diploma in Treasury Management. Not only is this generally viewed as a “must-have” as you move higher up the corporate treasury ladder but it also helps to broaden your thinking; giving you case studies for which you must think of the most appropriate action to take, as if you are the one in control in the real world. It is not a replacement for practical experience but rather supplements this very nicely, so I would suggest linking your learnings to your job at every possible chance along the way.
Ask any treasury person this question and I’m sure most people’s responses will mirror my own: “no two days are the same”. As well as that, I like the technical challenge and the fact that there’s always so much going on, with so many different projects and areas to sink your teeth into. I also enjoy interacting with lots of different people - banks and subsidiaries alike.
I very much enjoyed working on the establishment of a Global Medium Term Note (GMTN) programme for Imperial Brands earlier this year. This was a new venture for the company (and me), essentially combining the Group’s European Medium Term Note (EMTN) programme and its standalone 144A/RegS US bond documentation, by updating the former to bring the disclosures up, and have the due diligence conducted, to US standards. It brought me much closer to the company as I worked with numerous stakeholders, learning even more about the business along the way. Following this up with our recent issuance in the US market was highly satisfying.
On asking my colleagues: meticulous, passionate, driven.
To reframe what people say into a way that you can understand and work with.
The number one skill I would point to is communication. You can have all the technical skills in the world but really trip yourself up if your communication skills are below par. One of the reasons I initially joined Toastmasters was to help me work on speaking slower for example, and the change in impact is quite amazing.
Secondly, I would say being able to take feedback and work on it, as well as work with those who have provided it to see your progression over time. We all have our blind spots, and it’s only through learning what they are that you can actually do something about them.
Thirdly, working on enhancing collaboration is key. Sharing knowledge and understanding across the business has proved crucial in successful operations, helping us all to work faster and more effectively.
I would be very surprised if most people could live without their phone(s) these days. We are constantly flooding our brains with news, updates and interactions – without it you can feel a bit lost! Aside from that I would say my Fitbit. I find it fascinating to see the number of steps I’ve taken, my resting heart rate, or how well I’ve slept, compared against how much energy I have in the working day. It’s also good to motivate me to keep moving, especially when so much of the day is spent in front of the computer!
The person who comes to my mind straightaway is Joanna Bonnett, the Global Head of Treasury at Straumann Group and Immediate Past President of the ACT. I first met Joanna at the 2019 ACT conference after being introduced by my ACT lecturers. Joanna very kindly agreed to be my mentor and we had regular video calls in which she would continuously inspire me to think bigger, to have the confidence to take bigger strides, and to push on further, all whilst giving me solid advice over my concerns and asking me questions to coach and stretch me. I'm honestly not sure if I would have taken the leap to my current role without Joanna's guidance, and I remain grateful that she gave so much of her time to help me grow.