Agenda | The Association of Corporate Treasurers

Agenda

Navigating volatility and fostering digital connectivity

Monday 11 May

 Managing unprecedented risks

Session 1

10:00 - 11:00 BST

 

The changing economic and fiscal landscape in 2020 – a global macroeconomic overview

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has changed and will continue to reshape the global economy. Central banks and national governments have made progress in blunting the impact of the global pandemic while keeping the market functioning.

  • What tools have been deployed and with what success? How has the market reacted?
  • What might future actions look like, particularly as focus turns to easing the financial pressures on businesses?

This session will provide a run-down of what has happened since the outbreak and provide a round-up of what to expect in 2020.

Facilitator:

Guy Shone, Business Presenter, Euronews NBC

Panellists

  • Monica Malik, Chief Economist, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank
  • Rain Newton-Smith, Chief Economist, Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
  • Louis Kuijs, Head of Asia Economics, Oxford Economics 
  • Claus Vistesen, Chief Eurozone Economist, Pantheon Macro 

Session 2

13:00 - 14:00 BST 

Surviving uncertainty - key issues faced by treasurers

Treasurers around the globe are facing overwhelming changes almost daily as a result of the pandemic.

  • What are the key challenges faced by treasurers?
  • How are treasurers responding, practically and emotionally, to the sudden economic dislocation?
  • Has the pandemic affected relationships between treasury and non-treasury colleagues, executive management and external stakeholders?’

Experienced thought leaders in treasury will bring you a comprehensive overview of the current business of treasury and share lessons learned and practical tactics for surviving disruption in a time of uncertainty.

Facilitator:

Peter Matza, Speakers' Chair, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Sharon Wang, Director, Group Treasury, Alibaba Group 
  • Richard Moore, Corporate Treasurer, Caterpillar
  • Matthew Hurn, CFO, Alternative Investments and Infrastructure, Mubadala 
  • Andrea Sottoriva, Group Treasurer Director, SITA
  • Joseph Braunhofer, Head of Treasury, Smith & Nephew

Session 3

14:30 - 15:20 BST

Powered by Lloyds Bank

 

Stormy Seas: Corporate risk management in uncertain times  

Prolonged periods of benign financial markets may have resulted in Corporates being lured into a false sense of security and unprepared for the uncertainty seen in recent times and potentially lying ahead

  • Are market risks getting bigger?
  • Is heightened uncertainty the new normal?
  • Are corporates prepared to weather the storms ahead?
  • What should corporate treasuries do to prepare for riskier times?

Facilitator:

Sarah Boyce, Associate Director – Policy and Technical, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Niall Coakley, Managing Director, Large Corporate Rates, Lloyds Bank 
  • Sam Hill, Head of Market Insights, LBCM Flow Sales and Trading, Lloyds Bank
  • Rhodri Hughes, Director, Large Corporate FX Sales, Lloyds Bank
  • Colin McKee, Head of Financial Risk Advisory, Corporate Sales, Lloyds Bank

 

Session 4

16:00 - 16:45 BST

Powered by Kyriba 

Problem-solving session: A liquidity action plan for treasurers   

In this session, global management consultancy McKinsey will discuss the importance of optimising liquidity in today’s market and what companies and their boards are doing to maintain liquidity and cash flow. Leading SaaS treasury solutions provider Kyriba will provide insight into how its clients are freeing up working capital, gaining real-time visibility into the company’s liquidity profile and how Kyriba is supporting them in this business-critical process. They will be joined by GVC Holdings PLC who will outline their priorities during the crisis and describe how they are able to meet the challenges and successfully continue driving their business forward. 

Facilitator: 

Naresh Aggarwal, Associate Director - Policy and Technical, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Neil Cotter, Treasurer, GVC Holdings
  • Wolfgang Koester, Chief Evangelist, Kyriba
  • David O’Neill, Partner, RTS Vice President, McKinsey

Fringe Talk

Pre-recorded 

Join at any time

A silver lining for Fintechs – the acceleration of digital collaboration

A quick-fire session demonstrating the role of FinTechs in supporting financial operations through unprecedented speed of change:

  • Commercial paper negotiation, issuance and resell: how digitalisation can support the entire process efficiently and securely? 

Pascal Lauffer, Chief Executive Officer, Onbrane

  • Cash forecasting: Is your cash forecasting methodology sufficiently timely and accurate? How can treasurers gain better visibility of AP and AR ledgers?

Alexander Fleischmann, Head of Market Development - International, TIPCO

 

 

Tuesday 12 May

Planning for business volatility

Session 1

10:00 -11:00 BST

The role of corporate banks on survival strategies

The ability for the economy to respond swiftly to a global pandemic depends on not only the central banks but also financial institutions and lenders.

  • What new government schemes have we seen in different countries/regions?
  • How have banks been overcoming the operational challenges to get the schemes running?
  • How can treasurers access to these loans and what support can bank provide?

In this session, you will hear from corporate banks about their extraordinary measures for extraordinary times.

Facilitator:

Brian Shanahan, Founder, Informita 

Panellists:

  • Mark Tweedie, MD, UK Corporate Banking Head, Citi Group
  • Paul Wilde, Group Treasurer, Shawbrook Bank
  • Daniel Cichocki, Commercial Finance Director, UK Finance

Session 2

12:30 - 13:30 BST

Strategic leadership in response to disruption

CFOs and treasurers are business leaders on the frontline during times of disruption and post-crisis recovery. Ensuring their teams remain strong and effective will be key to their 'survive and thrive'. 

  • What are the greatest challenges for leaders in the finance and treasury space during this pandemic?
  • Will finance and treasury leadership be put to the test through this COVID-19 crisis, and how far do you think leadership's professional and technical capabilities will be put under the microscope?
  • How have these leaders created more team cohesion and innovation during these difficult times? 

This will be an ACT-led session exploring strategies for virtual team management, stakeholder communication and influencing.

Facilitator: 

Caroline Stockmann, Chief Executive, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Francis Ho, Senior Director - Group Treasury & Project Finance, CLP Holdings
  • Adam Boukadida, CFO, Etihad Aviation Group 
  • Wilson Koh, Group Treasurer, Grab Taxi
  • Joanna Bonnett, Group Treasurer, PageGroup 

Session 3

14:00 - 15:00 BST

Business Continuity Planning - Surviving first contact 

As every military planner knows, no plan survives first contact - and Business Continuity Plans are no exception. 

What have treasurers learned about the resilience of their continuity plan?

How has 'doing business' changed - both within the organisation and relationships with external stakeholders? 

Expert speakers will delve into the potential short-term and long-term economic impact of this recent and ongoing pandemic, and identify key priorities as contingencies.

Facilitator:

Fiona Crisp, Past President, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Rob McAnally, Group Treasurer, Associated British Foods
  • Tim Eustace, Director of Group Operations, Bottomline Technologies 
  • William Rigger, Global Assistant Treasurer, Willis Towers Watson

Session 4

15:30 - 16:30 BST 

Problem-solving session: Cash is still the No.1 priority, whether King or Queen

Liquidity has taken central stage for many companies as they take measures to combat the economic impact of COVID-19, but

  • What does good practice cash and liquidity management look like and how well did companies fare at the start of this pandemic?
  • How have business survived and what do they need to do to thrive as we talk of lifting the lockdown?

This session will look at effective measures to protect your liquidity position.

Facilitator:

Naresh Aggarwal, Associate Director - Policy and Technical, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

Steve Wheeler, Treasury Director, Dialog Semiconductor

Paul Harrison, Director, Head of Treasury Advisory, Grant Thornton

Fringe Talk

Pre-recorded

Join at any time 

A silver lining for Fintechs – the acceleration of digital collaboration

A quick-fire session demonstrating the role of FinTechs in supporting financial operations through unprecedented speed of change:

  • How Multinationals are Dealing with National Crisis Funding: The COVID-19 crisis has forced many companies to seek additional funding. What strategies are treasurers adopting to bolster liquidity and secure financing in all their global entities? 

Michael Bach, Head of Consulting & Implementation, BELLIN Treasury International 

Katja Franz, Consulting Director, BELLIN Treasury International 

  • Fixed-Term Funds - a better alternative to term deposits: Key features and benefits of Fixed-Term Funds vs traditional deposits and the reasons that FTFs deserve a place in every corporate's treasury portfolio, particularly in the current economic climate

Kevin Cook, Co-founder & CEO, TreasurySpring 

 

Wednesday 13 May

Navigating regulatory imperatives

Session 1

10:00 - 11:30 BST 

An update on the transition from LIBOR

The FCA’s Director, Markets and Wholesale Policy, Edwin Schooling Latter, will provide a regulatory update before being joined for a focused discussion with representatives of three banks about the progress being made in the transition to risk-free rates and what treasurers need to be doing at this time, particularly in light of the Covid-19 crisis, and the effect of this on transition plans for both banks and corporates.

Facilitator:

Sarah Boyce, Associate Director – Policy and Technical, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Edwin Schooling Latter, Director of Markets and Wholesale Policy, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
  • David McNally, IBOR Transition Director, Corporate Banking, Deutsche Bank
  • Olivier Gayno, CIO Wealth & EMEA Liquidity, HSBC Global Asset Management
  • Jamieson Thrower, Head of Syndicated Loans Agency & LIBOR Transition Business Lead, NatWest

Session 2

14:00 - 15:00 BST

Tackling the regulatory hurdles

The global financial crisis of 2008/09 prompted a decade of international regulation, affecting corporates as well as the financial sector. Currently treasurers’ focus is on the funding issues caused by the COVID-19 crisis, with little time to consider regulation.   This session highlights key regulatory developments, approaching deadlines and implementation challenges. Legal experts will discuss regulatory hurdles and forbearance relating to the current crisis.  Are the rules “fit for purpose”?  Will regulation remain a top priority for treasurers for the next decade?

Facilitator:

James Winterton, Associate Director – Policy and Technical, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Caroline Dawson, Partner, Clifford Chance
  • Tarek Tranberg, Head of Public Affairs & Policy, European Association of Corporate Treasurers (EACT)
  • Subas Roy, Partner, DTA and F&R, Oliver Wyman 
  • Brian Polk, Director, FS Regulation Leader, EMEA, PWC

Session 3

15:30 - 16:00 BST

Deal or No Deal? The EU’s Green Ambitions in a Post-COVID world

The EU's long-term goal to tackle climate change remains unchanged. But the COVID-19 pandemic will likely delay specific laws needed to reach carbon neutrality as governments and firms mobilize their finances to deal with the economic fallout.

Some sectors, such as automotive and aviation, are pushing back on stricter environmental standards and commitments amid the COVID-19 measures. There is also a risk that the drop in global energy demand may end up delaying investment in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Changing consumer habits and preferences in a COVID-19 recovery could push companies and governments to do more in terms of greening the economy.

Facilitator:

Naresh Aggarwal, Associate Director - Policy and Technical, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT) 

Speaker:

Michael Wilkins, Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Finance Analytics & Research, S&P Global Ratings

Fringe Talk

Pre-recorded

Join at any time

Future Leaders in Treasury: a millennials perspective of the current crisis

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is a global pandemic and treasurers are at the forefront of dealing with the issues that have arisen. We ask members of the Future Leaders in Treasury working group about the unique challenges facing younger members who have not worked through a crisis before and now need to translate the theory they have learnt in to practical solutions for the business. The speakers are based in London, Dubai and Sydney so their informal discussion provides a perspective on how different markets and governments have responded to the crisis.

Key issues discussed include:

  • How the businesses they work for initially reacted to the crisis
  • What the key priorities were in the first few days/weeks
  • Whether their work environments are getting back to ‘business as usual’ or are still working in crisis mode
  • What their businesses have done with regard to liquidity
  • The impact of working from home on the wider team, including well-being initiatives

Panellists:

  • Courtney Huggins, Group Treasurer, Logicor
  • Roshun Tulkens, Group Treasurer, Mantrac Group 
  • Robert Searle, Vice President Global Subsidiary Banking, MUFG Bank

Fringe Talk

Pre-recorded

Join at any time

Business of Treasury 

This session will reveal the latest trends of our annual research, carried out in (virtual) person with 200 treasurers from around the globe. You’ll hear how technology is either ‘love it or hate it’, cash still remains the top priority, and how we’re seeing a strong increase in treasurers’ desire to develop their non-technical skills as strategic influencing, communications and relationship-building skills really come into their own.  The speaker will explore the treasurer’s contribution as a board partner, and their pivotal role in financial risk management – especially critical in relation to the COVID-19 impact on the economy.

Caroline Stockmann, Chief Executive, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Fringe Talk

Pre-recorded

Join at any time

Mental well-being and top tips for thinking in a resilient way 

Caroline Stockmann, Chief Executive, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Roundtable discussion: Mental wellbeing challenges and coping mechanisms in times of lockdown

Thursday 14 May

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel

Session 1

10:00 - 11:00 BST

(Re)building your business resilience 

The primary focus post-crisis should be on building business resilience.

  • How has the COVID-19 crisis changed the way treasurers work?
  • Will the economic slow-down speed up technological revolution within the treasury function and the overall business environment? 

This session will be a strategic discussion to help you understand the mid to long-term impacts of COVID-19 and identify new practices to fuel the next wave of growth.

Facilitator:

Peter Matza, Speakers' Chair, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)

Panellists:

  • Agnes Favillier, President, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)
  • Bill Wrest, Senior Strategist, Gresham Technologies
  • Katherine Horrell, Group Treasurer, The AA plc

Special Guest Speaker

13:00 - 14:00 BST

This session will be run under the Chatham House Rule. 

COP 26 Private Finance Agenda: ensuring that every professional financial decision takes climate change into account

Mark Carney, as Special Envoy to the UN Secretary General, will speak about the framework that will help the financial sector allocate capital to manage risks and seize opportunities in the transition to net zero. He will outline the building blocks for this new financial system, including:

  • Reporting: improving the quantity, quality and comparability of climate-related disclosures
  • Risk management: ensuring that the financial sector can measure and manage climate-related financial risks
  • Returns: helping investors identify the opportunities in the transition to net zero and report their own alignment

Facilitator:

  • Caroline Stockmann, Chief Executive, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)
  • Christopher Blake, Education Director, Asset and Liability Management Association (ALMA)

Session 3

14:15 - 15:00 BST

Powered by Aviva Investors


What is the future of ESG and sustainability?

Despite the economic and financial challenges, the global pandemic potentially offers up opportunities for a faster transition to a more sustainable world.

  • Will corporates rethink and restructure their long-term funding and financing strategy?
  • How can investing in ESG enhance business resilience in the face of massive change?

While ESG issues might seem like off-radar topics, expert speakers in this session will open up a debate over how to ‘lift and shift’ ESG and sustainability considerations while businesses adjust to an altered reality.

Facilitator:

Adrian Sargent, Founder, ESG Treasury

Panellists:

  • Jessica Fries, Executive Chairman, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)
  • Paul Lacoursiere, Head of ESG Research, Aviva Investors
  • Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, Senior Resident Fellow, Climate and Energy Program, Third Way

Session 4

15:30 - 16:30 BST

The future of international trade - a treasurer's perspective 

The twin crises, health and economic, will change the way the world does business. Treasurers will need to plan and support the business adapting to the ‘new normal’. With the US-China trade dispute yet to be resolved, as well as continued uncertainty of Brexit trade negotiation,

  • How can treasurers optimise global and regional liquidity and strengthen cross-border banking relationships?
  • What will be the renewed focus in supply chain financing as businesses are forced to rethink their global value chain?

This session will uncover the ‘new normal’ in trade and explore ideas for treasurers to better support the wider business.

Facilitator:

Jeff Ando, Director, Content and Production, Global Trade Review (GTR)

Panellists:

  • Sam Lowe, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Reform
  • Rebecca Harding, CEO, Coriolis Technologies
  • Winny Li, Group Treasurer, PPD

Session 5

17:00 - 18:00 BST 

Closing: Getting ready to restart business 

  • Key takeaways for treasurers from International Treasury Week
  • Essential points for business recovery post COVID-19

Speakers:

  • Caroline Stockmann, Chief Executive, Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT)
  • Jean-Marc Servat, Chair, European Association of Corporate Treasurers (EACT)
  • Helmut Schnabel, Chair, International Group of Treasury Association (IGTA)
  • Thomas Deas, Chair, National Association of Corporate Treasurers (US) (NACT) 

Fringe Talk 

Pre-recorded 

Join at any time

Top tips for treasury teams: Implementing a sustainable finance framework

An interview with Jessica Fries, Executive Chairman, Accounting for Sustainability (A4S)

 

 

This event has now passed

This virtual event took place on 11-14 May 2020.

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