I am the Group Treasury Manager for Croda International. I'm fairly new to the business as I joined in November 2023 and have spent my first six months getting to know the teams and business as well as jumping straight into various treasury and finance projects.
After university, I started in junior cash processing and bank reconciliation roles for a company rather than taking a traditional graduate scheme or Big 4 finance route. From there, I moved into more traditional treasury assistant/analyst roles after learning the basics and working with key mentors. Throughout my career each move I’ve made, whether it has been up and into a new challenge, or sideways to a different sector, has allowed me to tailor my learning and gain different experiences in Treasury Front Office.
That is a tough question. For me personally it isn’t necessarily about the industry, it is about the team, opportunities to learn and develop my knowledge as well as the culture of the business that creates the most enjoyment.
I enjoyed my various times abroad - it gave me a new perspective to consider, and it provided me with a great opportunity to learn and gain experience in another country, another culture and different working environments. Each opportunity I’ve had faced different challenges; in Europe I was based in Germany and even though I can get by in basic ‘tourist’ German, it isn’t business German! North America has time zone challenges - having previously been on East Coast/EST, I felt the role on the West Coast/PST more difficult and sometimes isolating.
I would say to anyone who is presented with an opportunity to work abroad to consider it, research the area and if you are able to do so, spend time out there beforehand. Having done this, and if personal circumstances allow, I'd say to do it!
No two treasury roles are the same; the differences in industries, risk appetite and maturity of the treasury departments make it interesting. I have always been in Treasury Front Office and the projects I get involved with can be similar to previous roles, but the complexities of the companies mean it is a vastly different project. I also really enjoy that as a treausry team we interact with a variety of finance teams, from group reporting and operational finance to FP&A and Investor Relations, as well as with external stakeholders at the banks, asset funds and external advisors.
During the pandemic in 2020, I was part of a very small treasury team at a retailer. Whilst a difficult time for everyone, we were a very lean team, and this led to several challenges in managing the day-to-day cash and liquidity positions, as well as the commodity/FX risks driven by the changing pandemic world. This definitely kept me busy especially as I was one of the few people who went into the office each day. However, the project that stands out from my time there, was being part of the wider business team to get groceries delivered to those in isolation, part of the doorstep deliveries initiative. The payments side came from treasury working with our card provider for the devices and technology to understanding how these were going to be reconciled with the finance operations teams. On reflection, this was a very rewarding yet challenging time to be in the retail industry.
One of the best pieces of advice I have received is to treat cash as if it was your own, not only in a treasury environment but as a principle in business. It is good practice, and maybe it is the old adage of tight Yorkshire person, but it has stuck with me.
I completed my Diploma last year after doing the CertT and CertICM a few years ago. The background and theory that it gives is a good solid foundation to what is practiced day to day in different treasury functions. There are many routes into studying with the ACT and I enjoyed the variety of content at each level, as well as being able to study flexibly at my own pace. My advice would be to use the additional support provided through the learning sessions and the online webinars and podcasts to support the course material.
My phone. Whilst I love a good meme and reel, I use it most to stay connected with my family and friends. It has all of my pictures, from family events to my working abroad adventures and travels around the world – it is never far from me.
I play netball a couple of times a week and if I am not playing, then I am usually watching sport. My husband and I like to watch Leeds United – we try and get tickets to each home game and we are on the very long waiting list for a season ticket. Other than sport we like to travel, last year, we went to the Norwegian Fjords and Vancouver and its surrounding area. We are currently planning our next big trip but are undecided on where and when!