This provided participants with a chance to reflect together on how some of the major issues we face impact our strategies and objectives and to draw on the experience and knowledge of other treasurers.
The format of talkingtreasury, with its emphasis on panel and audience discussion, encouraged participation and helped focus on the key issues that matter to treasurers. We have published this report in order to provide a record of the debate and have supplemented it with further material where this contributes to an understanding of the topic. Cross references to other useful and related information sources are also provided to take the benefits of talkingtreasury beyond that of the more usual commercial conference.
The subject matters ranged from comparing and learning from treasury best practice, understanding the impact of IFRS and dealing with the implications of the likely future shape of payments in Europe. The common denominator was change; the ability of us all to embrace change which is a key driver of the added value we know is expected of treasury professionals. Treasury associations are best placed to lead in the identification of the issues that matter most to all our members; the EACT (the European Associations of Corporate Treasurers), of which the ACT and the CAT are members, welcomes the talkingtreasury initiative.
The country treasury associations that make up the EACT work actively together across Europe to ensure that the concerns of the corporate sector, especially as users of the financial markets, are properly taken into account in
the development of regulatory, legal and best practice frameworks, particularly where these involve the EU.
We intend to build on the success of talkingtreasury, Prague by holding another forum in Amsterdam towards the end of 2006 and look forward to a further gathering of leading practitioners.