My first role in treasury was in the financial services sector with the Coventry Building Society. I worked in a customer facing role in a branch before joining as a trainee treasury dealer. Whilst at the Coventry, I studied for the ACT qualification to develop the building blocks for my future career. I left the Building Society and spent the next 13 years working in treasury for a variety of different companies, spanning diverse industries such as retail, public sector, gambling/gaming and manufacturing. I have been with Neovia Logistics since 2020 having joined during the UK lockdown period.
Treasury touches almost every part of a company’s operations. Therefore, we have an opportunity to collaborate, support and influence decision making on numerous levels. This is the most appealing aspect to treasury.
There are more similarities than differences. For each of my previous employers whether PE, listed or privately or government owned, the expectation has always been the same. To maintain security and liquidity in the treasury operations, be as collaborative as possible to help each business succeed. There can be differences in how quickly an owner can pivot and change a particular business direction depending on ownership structure, this can ultimately follow through to treasury operations, in areas of hedging or funding for example.
Being part of a team involved in a bond issuance at the Coventry Building Society. As a junior member of team, I was given the opportunity to be part of the process from start to finish. This involved everything from bank selection, investor roadshows, book building and hedging. I managed to put the ACT learning into practical use. The timing was important as it crystallised that treasury was the career for me.
Never neglect the time to think properly. I’m often advised to delegate more to allow me the time to think and critically analyse.
Communication: treasurers must be able explain topics of varying complexity to an audience with different levels of understanding, therefore this is a key skill. It covers broad topics too, from reporting to banking operations, from hedging strategy to debt. Being able to convey the message clearly and concisely is a must.
Self-belief: this translates into a can-do attitude. Treasurers are constantly asked to adapt as the challenges are ever changing and the solutions rarely the same. Embracing this and then employing other more technical skills to achieve the desired outcome is crucial.
Resilience: this has come to the fore over recent years. Being professionally resilient to factors outside of your control and staying calm in moments of uncertainty. Also, in the world of remote working, staying emotionally resilient as it’s easy to feel isolated when teams/organisations don’t physically interact as much as they used to.
I use a variety of benefits to keep informed. This includes the magazine, the online wiki resource and ACT webinars. I also attend Treasury forums to keep up to date with both content and colleagues.
My phone. I use it to organise most things, as a camera, as a music player, to track my health and plenty more.
I have just returned from holiday where I started a sporting biography. I am also introducing my young son to Roald Dahl and we are halfway through the Twits.
Determined, resourceful and conscientious.