Europe's Premier Invitation-Only Meeting for Senior Treasurers
June 18th / 19th, 2024
Hilton Syon Park Hotel, London
Agenda Day 1
7:40 am - 8:40 am
Registration & Coffee
8:40 am - 8:50 am
GT Exchange Welcome and Opening Remarks from Chair
8:50 am - 9:15 am
KEYNOTE OPENING PRESENTATION – Hope for the best or prepare for the worst? A macroeconomic overview of what to prepare for in 2024 and beyond
Tim Leunig -
Chief Economist / Visiting Professor,
Onward Think Tank / LSE School of Public Policy
The past few years have seen arguably the greatest degree of global upheaval since the second world war, with a global pandemic, the impact of climate change and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine all combining to create an environment of extreme uncertainty for business around the globe. This shows no sign of abating; the pending presidential election in the US, a growing swell of support for populism as seen by recent election results across the globe and recent events in Israel / Palestine will continue to have far-reaching impacts on global trade and commerce.
Whilst no crystal ball to see the future exists, this session will attempt to shine some light on what could potentially shape the remainder of 2024 and beyond – and in doing so, hopefully, allow you to start planning effectively in a world of continued turmoil.
Tim Leunig
Chief Economist / Visiting ProfessorOnward Think Tank / LSE School of Public Policy
9:15 am - 9:55 am
KEYNOTE PANEL DISCUSSION WITH AUDIENCE Q&A: Creating a resilient treasury strategy in the face of global instability
Tim De Knegt -
Manager Strategic Finance & Treasury and Corporate Treasurer,
Port of Rotterdam
Whilst nobody could have predicted the last few years, the impact of such a tumultuous period has been, and continues to be, significant for the global economic landscape. Given this uncertainty, creating a treasury structure which can continue to function despite the potential impact of further upheaval, is critical for group treasurers to help maintain facilitate continued growth, regardless of what the future has to offer.
This panel discussion will offer practical advice on how to prepare for the future – not to simply react to specific events, but to proactively create a robust structure which can withstand all but the greatest economic shocks.
- How can supply chain finance strategies be altered to account for greater levels of instability, as well as to protect against potential “unknown unknowns”?
- What role can the effective use of technology have in helping ensure the treasury function can help the company absorb any shocks?
- Adjusting your cash management strategies to maintain the right level of liquidity and long-term planning
10:00 am - 10:30 am
One-to-One Business Meetings & Networking
10:35 am - 11:05 am
One-to-One Business Meetings & Networking
10:35 am - 11:05 am
EXPERT THINK TANK – Identifying costs saving opportunities and process efficiencies across treasury bank relationships and payment processes
Jacques Yana Mbena -
VP Solutions Architect,
TIS PAYMENTS
Treasury teams are under greater pressure than ever to demonstrate value and drive efficiencies within their operations. Whilst the implementation of broad technology and automation solutions often delivers a tangible benefit, beyond the introduction of a TMS, there are additional areas where the technology and / or system enhancement can also lead to financial and resource savings.
This interactive think-tank will consider use cases for two such areas – the value which can be derived from a holistic view of your corporations banking relationships and fees, as well as where virtual cards can provide a cost-benefits and efficiencies across payments workflows, exploring practical examples and how to overcome implementation challenges associated with their use.
11:10 am - 11:40 am
One-to-One Business Meetings & Networking
11:45 am - 12:25 pm
PANEL SESSION WITH AUDIENCE Q&A - where is there value in creating an IHB, what are the various options for such a change and what are the typical challenges involved in this shift?
Antti Kyyro -
EMEA and APAC Treasurer,
Bio Rad Laboratories
Nicolas Panayi - Group Treasurer, OSM Thome
Sumit Sharma - Deputy Director of Treasury, NTT Data
Over the past few years, the use of an In-House Bank (IHB) within treasury groups has grown significantly. IHB’s offer greater liquidity options, enhanced risk management, and a strong degree of centralized control of financial management across the business – meaning they are a potentially ideal solution for a global treasury unit to implement.
However, there are challenges associated with such a change, as well as a number of variables to consider in this instance, and this session will look to address the following:
- How can an IHB mitigate global financial uncertainty and manage potential future risk?
- Considering typical challenges associated with deploying an IHB within your organisation and how these can be overcome
- How are IHB structures evolving, and what how can you identify the best model for your business
12:25 pm - 1:35 pm
Networking Lunch
1:35 pm - 2:05 pm
One-to-One Business Meetings & Networking
2:10 pm - 2:40 pm
FIRESIDE CHAT: How can treasury leaders prepare for the FCA’s proposed changes to the bond issuance prospectus regulation, and what potential benefits does this have?
James Leather -
Director - Corporate Treasury Services,
CORIUM TREASURY
In November 2023, the UK government laid out potential changes to the legislative framework around prospectus regulations, proposing replacement of the current regime in the first half of 2025. This will have a wide range of impacts for financial institutions, but specifically, this may re-open a £2tn retail investor market for treasury bonds. This session will consider what this means for group treasurers, and how they make the most of this new opportunity:
- The FCA proposals in full – what will potentially be possible in 2025, and who can potentially take advantage of these opportunities?
- How can treasurers prepare for these changes?
- Understanding the investor perspective: how will investors seek to access this market, and what value will they get out of this form of investment?
2:40 pm - 3:05 pm
CASE-STUDY PRESENTATION: Taking a seat at the table: How the treasury function can influence strategic decision making within a global corporation
Michael Ben Moshe -
VP Finance, Corporate Treasury,
Teva Pharmaceuticals
As the role of a group treasurer continues to develop, far from being a purely operational group, treasurers have a critical role to play in all areas of company success. Successful delivery of the core treasury role can ensure dynamic risk management, provide fiscal stability for the organization and provide the right environment for corporate growth and expansion. However, whilst the role of a treasury group is undoubtedly vital to continued organizational success, the ability to demonstrate this value and exert a degree of influence on strategic decisions is often a challenge for those in this role.
In this case study presentation, Michael Ben Moshe of Teva Pharmaceuticals will give an insight into how his team have used a laser-sharp focus on cashflow and liquidity management to influence company direction. Far from being an operational delivery unity, the treasury team at Teva are central to many of the strategic direction of the company, and this session will focus on the journey taken and challenges overcome, to reach a point of being a trusted partner by the business
3:05 pm - 3:40 pm
INTERACTIVE PANEL DISCUSSION WITH AUDIENCE Q&A – How can a treasury group manage the impact of major company changes?
Michael Ben Moshe -
VP Finance, Corporate Treasury,
Teva Pharmaceuticals
Tariq Kazi - Director of Financial Strategy, Southern Housing
Serene Tan - Head Subsidiary Treasury and Banking, EQUINOR
Treasury groups have a critical role in ensuring the successful delivery of many of the significant decisions taken by a business. Whether going through an IPO, purchasing a new company or going through a merger, or looking at ongoing business needs such as expansion or growth plans, the treasury team have to manage many of the processes inherent in ensuring the activity is successfully undertaken.
Bringing the treasury team into the decision-making process at an early stage is critical; indeed, activities such as purchases and mergers can potentially stall due to treasury integration challenges alone. As such, this panel discussion will aim to focus on the following:
- How can treasury teams ensure their voice – and therefore needs – are heard BEFORE a fundamental business decision is taken?
- What should the role of treasury be when advising on fundamental business change? Where should the influence extend to, and what is “out of scope”? How can this differ from company to company?
- War stories and best practice – what practical advice can be given to help with ongoing change?
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm
One-to-One Business Meetings & Networking
3:45 pm - 4:15 pm
EXPERT THINK TANK – Charting unexplored waters: The role of treasury in successfully steering a company through the COVID pandemic
Amar Farooq -
Senior Director and Deputy Group Treasurer,
Travelport
Travelport is a UK-based multi-billion-dollar organisation, who provide solutions across the travel sector, and considered one of the largest GDS (Global Distribution Systems) for this sector worldwide.
COVID impacted every sector, but with travel banned globally at the height of the pandemic, travel and tourism were amongst those most affected – including Travelport and its client/customer base. In this insightful case study, Amar Farooq, Senior Director, and Deputy Group Treasurer at Travelport, will give an insight into how he – and the treasury function – realigned priorities, shaped policies, engaged the right stakeholders and took broader financial control to help Travelport navigate through this difficult time. This session will focus on what worked, what didn’t, and lessons which can be learned to prepare for the next major crisis.
4:20 pm - 4:50 pm
One-to-One Business Meetings & Networking
4:55 pm - 5:25 pm
One-to-One Business Meetings & Networking
4:55 pm - 5:25 pm
EXPERT THINK TANK – Optimising your cash management strategies to re-position treasury as a value generator within your organisation
In an environment of global instability, which has impacted all areas of the treasury function, managing liquidity and accurate cash forecasting has become ever-more critical for treasury departments. Treasuries have a critical role in helping reduce business risk by helping drive a better use of cash and reduce the reliance on external capital for business growth, but the drive for optimized cash management and forecasting is a challenge to successfully implement:
- Why is forecasting such a critical issue, and what benefits does this offer for an organisation?
- How can an enhanced focus on cash management mitigate macroeconomic risks and move treasury from support function to trusted business partner? What steps do they need to take to achieve this aim?
- Are there technologies (i.e. AI) which can improve cash management and forecasting, and what impact can they potentially have?
5:30 pm - 5:30 pm
CHAMPAGNE ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION GROUPS
Each of the planned round tables will focus on a different area of treasury technology, and focus on the following 3 factors:
- Where can this technology be used to greatest effect?
- How can this technology be successfully implemented, and what challenges typically need to be overcome in its implementation?
- How can this integrate with existing technology?
Each session will run for 30 minutes, following which the audience will change tables, and each round table discussion will then be repeated with a new audience
ROUNDTABLE 1 - TMS / TREASURY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm TABLE 1 - TMS / TREASURY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM- Where can this technology be used to greatest effect?
- How can this technology be successfully implemented, and what challenges typically need to be overcome in its implementation?
- How can this integrate with existing technology?
Each round table will run for 30 minutes per session, following which the audience will change tables, and each roundtable discussion will then be repeated with a new audience
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
TABLE 2 – KYC / ONBOARDING AUTOMATION
- Where can this technology be used to greatest effect?
- How can this technology be successfully implemented, and what challenges typically need to be overcome in its implementation?
- How can this integrate with existing technology?
Each round table will run for 30 minutes per session, following which the audience will change tables, and each roundtable discussion will then be repeated with a new audience
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
TABLE 3 – CASH MANAGEMENT AND FORECASTING SOLUTION
- Where can this technology be used to greatest effect?
- How can this technology be successfully implemented, and what challenges typically need to be overcome in its implementation?
- How can this integrate with existing technology?
Each round table will run for 30 minutes per session, following which the audience will change tables, and each roundtable discussion will then be repeated with a new audience
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
TABLE 4 – PAYMENTS SOLUTION
- Where can this technology be used to greatest effect?
- How can this technology be successfully implemented, and what challenges typically need to be overcome in its implementation?
- How can this integrate with existing technology?
Each round table will run for 30 minutes per session, following which the audience will change tables, and each roundtable discussion will then be repeated with a new audience
