From the editor Editorial director Welcome to Treasury Perspectives Leslie Holstrom [email protected] The ‘intelligent treasury’ edition Contributors Mariel Barclay This year’s Treasury Perspectives looks at some of the bigger global trends Simon Brady impacting business from the re-emergence of globalisation to the shift away from China to lower cost locations in which to do business. We also look at the digital Mark Parsley challenge for banks and corporates along with the promise of what FinTech, AI Katrina Rollinson and robotics might offer treasury. Jonathan Williams Digitalisation will be the focus both for banks and their corporate customers for some Art direction + graphic design time to come. The speed of change will be at a pace that most treasurers will find uncomfortable. However, it is imperative that you keep informed as new products Nick Chapman are rolled out and you don’t miss the digitalisation boat and what could turn out to be an interesting and effective suite of solutions. Because increased automation via Advertising AI, robotics and machine learning will without doubt impact the treasury and the Susan Christopherson functions it performs. In some instances, for some companies, automation could make the treasury role redundant. [email protected] It’s a catch 22, isn’t it? The corporate drive for efficiency requires automation of Marketing + circulation repetitive operational tasks. The technology to do that is fast becoming available Jane Pinfield for many treasury functions. Add in a bit of AI and machine learning and soon the technology may make smarter and better-informed judgement calls that were previously only possible by humans. So, to embrace that type of technology may Enquiries well mean that treasury automates itself out of existence. EuroFinance, 20 Cabot Square, Our journalists this year look at the advances in technology and how those may offer a London, E14 4QW, UK new level of efficiency in cross border payments, supply chain, FX and other treasury T: +44 (0)20 7576 8555 functions. But we also delve into how treasurers can retain control and increase their www.treasuryperspectives.com remit by repurposing what treasury does and how it operates within the business. www.eurofinance.com We believe that the intelligent treasury should function as a strategic consultant to the business in all things financial. Treasury needs to understand how it can use data to produce more relevant insights for the business. It should also retain the whole of the www.eurofinance.com/linkedin risk portfolio from financial to regulatory, supply chain to cyber, credit to investment and liquidity because these challenges are ideally suited to the treasurers’ skillset. There is much to be done to improve the overall risk management in companies. Partly because of scattered data, systems and responsibility, and partly because the www.twitter.com/eurofinance technologies that will allow whole-business risk management are only now becoming @eurofinance available. This is not only an opportunity for the treasurer but an opportunity for banks to develop next generation risk management products. Other areas where Treasury Perspectives is published annually treasury can make its mark include working capital and supply chain. The list goes by EuroFinance and is in circulation on: M&A, tax, procurement and even the strategic structures throughout the business. Those areas can and should be within the treasury remit. If you automate yourself out worldwide for one year. of job, it’s best to have a back up plan. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be All the best reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, Leslie Holstrom or stored in a retrieval system of any nature, Editor without permission. Treasury Perspectives Printed by Fox Print Services [email protected] © EuroFinance Conferences Ltd All rights reserved www.eurofinance.com TREASURY PERSPECTIVES 2017/2018 // 3