Using the resources of the national treasury associations of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, treasurers from 13 countries were able to gather to reflect on the key issues of the moment.
From the outset the format of talkingtreasury has been designed as much more than a passive conference but rather a thought leadership forum. During the day we held three main sessions each devoted to different topics. The initial briefings and scene setting were provided by the invited panellists and this naturally led into questions and answers involving the audience as well. The format meant there was ample opportunity to hear what other corporates were doing and for treasurers to draw on the experience and knowledge of their peers.We firmly believe that this chance to compare notes across companies and across countries is the unique strength of talkingtreasury.
The wider view of risk across the whole of an organisation was clearly taking hold in the majority of businesses with the treasurer very much involved in that process. Pension risk, the subject for one of the sessions, was found to have come well up the agenda with treasurers taking a leading role. Meshing well with risk and pensions was the subject of treasury governance and accountability which we heard could come in a variety of forms reflecting the history and culture of the organisation.
In the spirit of fostering an exchange of views on these topics we are publishing this report to form a record of the debates and to help all readers develop their thinking, with additional cross references to further information.
We are grateful to JPMorgan for the sponsorship of, and participation in, the day.