José Manuel Barroso is the Former President of the European Commission and the Former Prime Minister of Portugal.

In 1999, Barroso was elected president of the Portugese Social Democratic Party and became the leader of the opposition. In 2002, he was elected Prime Minister of Portugal and in 2004 he was nominated as President of the European Commission. Barroso remained in the Presidency for two five-year terms where he played an influential role in the passing of the Treaty of Lisbon, responding to the financial crisis and incorporating new members in the European Union, as the EU went from 15 to 28 countries between 2004 and 2014.

On behalf of the EU, José Manuel Barroso received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 and gave the acceptance speech together with the President of the European Council.

Since 2016 he is Non-Executive Chairman of Goldman Sachs International and Advisor to Goldman Sachs and since 2021 José Manuel Barroso is Chair of the Board of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Gavi is a public–private global health partnership with the goal of increasing access to immunization in poor countries, supporting the immunization of almost half the world’s children.

Barroso’s academic positions included visiting professor at Georgetown University. Most recently, he was visiting professor of International Economic Policy and a policy fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School, at Princeton University.

Anthony Buchanan is the Group Treasurer for Asahi Europe and International Ltd, with more than 25 years experience in various FMCG Treasury roles. AEI came about following the acquisition of SABMiller’s European business by Asahi Group Holdings for €10.5bn during 2017.Anthony designed and set up Treasury with support of a newly formed team, building the TMS and creating policies and governance. The centralised Treasury Team oversees the Group’s multi-currency cash pool structure, intercompany funding, Net Working capital, Commodity risk management and Foreign Exchange risk management, with 40 currency pairs.
The Treasury Team works closely with Procurement and AGH, supporting the Group’s working capital agenda. Anthony came into this role post the acquisition of SABMiller by Anheuser-Busch InBev having previously worked with SABMiller for more than a decade, most recently as Treasurer – Procurement based in Switzerland, responsible for the Global Commodity Risk Management Portfolio, supplier based Foreign Exchange risk management, supporting the implementation of the Procurement Buy – Sell operating model and the Global rollout of Working Capital opportunities such as Supply Chain Financing. Prior to SABMiller, Anthony was with ABN Amro Securities, Philips Petroleum, Hewlett Packard and Diageo. [Anthony earned a B.A. Economics 2.1 at University of Greenwich and FMCT.]

Varun Wadhwa is the deputy treasurer for Baker Hughes, he is based in London , United Kingdom. In his role, he works on establishing the technology and organization vision for Treasury and deploying new systems. He is also responsible for managing Bank Relations.

Prior to his current role, Varun served in various Treasury roles in General Electric (GE) , including as the Treasury Integration Leader for the Baker Hughes and GE Oil & Gas merger, Global Cash Management Treasury Lead for GE Oil & Gas, and Bank Relationship Manager for GE Corporate. Prior to joining GE in 2012, Varun worked in Transaction Banking & Cash Operations with Citibank & HSBC in India.

Carmen Hett, UNHCR’s Corporate Treasurer, is a seasoned corporate finance professional with over 25 years of experience in both the private and public sectors at director and board levels. She specializes in capital structures and global financial market access to support organizational strategies. She is leading the expansion of the Digital Hub of Treasury Solutions (DHoTS), which powers the UN Financial Gateway, enabling seamless financial access globally. Hett is at the forefront of integrating next-generation financial technologies with AI to facilitate digital value transfers and real-time emergency assistance, promoting economic and financial empowerment.

Vivien began her career at PwC, where she gained strong foundations in audit, risk management, and business process improvement. Since joining Diageo in 2012, Vivien has held a series of leadership roles across treasury, tax and group reporting, driving global projects on currency risk, compliance, and reporting. She has led international teams through major transformations, played a key role in global projects such as the group’s functional currency change, the optimization of FX and risk management strategies during periods of market volatility and the establishment of new tax consolidation and compliance frameworks.

Winny Li is the Group Treasurer at PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, having graduated from the University of Cambridge with an MPhil, Distinction in Management Studies in 1998. Winny started her finance career at Arthur Andersen and Deloitte, where she worked in many industries and become a qualified Chartered Accountant now a fellow Chartered Accountant. This provided valuable experience, leading Winny to working for the global media enterprise, Viacom. At Viacom, she travelled extensively, accumulating further management consulting expertise whilst working in different business and cultural settings. Almost 20 years ago, Winny joined the fast-growing pharmaceuticals company PPD. She contributed to the significant growth of the company including in M&A, delisting, IPO and market expansions. Winny worked as a Global Executive Finance Director then later took on further professional training with professional Treasury organisation ACT and set up PPD’s Treasury Function. In a past interview, Winny was described as ‘having a willingness to up sticks and move to where the action is, Winny Li’s career has all the hallmarks of the exemplary 21st-century treasurer and finance leader.

Kirsty leads the EMEA & APAC Treasury Operations for General Mills, Inc. (GMI), a global manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores which portfolio includes Cheerios, Betty Crocker & Häagen-Dazs. A Fortune 500 company, GMI is headquartered in Minneapolis, USA and is listed on the NYSE. Kirsty’s scope covers Cash & liquidity, In-House Banking, Foreign Exchange hedging & Bank Account management topics. She is also involved in M&A & Treasury optimization initiatives. Kirsty is based in Nyon, Switzerland, and sits on the board of the SwissTreasurer Association. Prior to this role, she worked on Foreign Exchange Hedging topics at EATON, in Switzerland and in India.

Hans has 20 years of finance experience in the healthcare and banking industry, with the past 9 years in corporate treasury management at AbbVie.

He is currently responsible at AbbVie for Treasury Management for the EMEA region at the regional treasury center located in the Netherlands.

Prior AbbVie, he worked as interim finance professional for Randstad (Yacht) and in various finance controlling roles at Rabobank and Abbott Laboratories.

Hans holds a bachelors degree in Business Economics, a pre-masters degree in Managerial Controlling.

Next to that, Hans is a registered Financial Controller and holds a Certificate in Treasury from the Association of Corporate Treasurers.

Dominique studied business in Paris and started his career with Arthur Andersen and Co. in London, then joined Cargill PLC in Cobham/UK in 1992.

With Cargill, he first held several finance leadership positions, moving from London to Paris in 1995, Johannesburg in 1997 and Moscow in 1999. He ran local operations until 2005, then relocated to Mechelen, near Brussels, where Cargill managed its European food ingredient processing operations.

In early 2008, he joined the Cargill Treasury Group and moved to Geneva, to oversee the local treasury operations. At the end of 2012, he joined the Board of CISA as CFO and, in 2017, he assumed an expanded role in Treasury as EMEA Lead for the Treasury Advisory Group. In 2020, he became CISA’s Chairman of the Board and his Treasury responsibilities were expanded to LATAM in 2021. Dominique is also a Director for the majority of the Cargill Swiss entities and the President of the Cargill Pension Fund for Switzerland.

Dhiraj built Shazam from the original idea into an iconic global brand with over 2 billion downloads. He led Shazam’s successful launch, navigated two financial crises, raised tens of millions in funding, and learned all about hypergrowth. He was named one of Europe’s Top 50 technology entrepreneurs by the Financial Times. Since Shazam’s sale to Apple for a reported $400M, he has invested in over 250 cutting-edge companies from climate tech to AI, including OpenAI (creators of ChatGPT). He is now an international keynote speaker on AI, adaptable leadership, climate action and the workforce of the future.

Earlier in his career, Dhiraj’s blue-chip clients include Unilever, Citibank, Eli Lilly, Intel and UBS. He has an MBA from Stanford Business School and a BA from Dartmouth College. Dhiraj has always been an explorer of the future. His insights from the front line of business are a mix of inspiration, humour, and practical advice.

Mario serves as the Treasury Director, Global Digital Treasury at Johnson Controls, a global leader in smart building technologies and solutions. With a heritage dating back to 1885, Johnson Controls operates in more than 150 countries and employs over 90.000 people, transforming buildings to be safer, more comfortable, efficient, and sustainable.In his role, Mario provides strategic guidance to the Vice President of Corporate Treasury and the Treasury leadership team, driving the translation of corporate strategy into innovative global digital treasury solutions.

His areas of expertise include real-time data analytics, liquidity management, payments factory, SWIFT solutions, Treasury Management Systems (TMS), Trade Finance, highly skilled in coding, and Bank Account Management (BAM).Mario leads high-impact strategic projects, particularly in the domains of mergers & acquisitions and spin-offs, focusing on optimizing processes, integrating treasury applications, and ensuring seamless connectivity between business ERPs and treasury platforms.With a unique hybrid background in both IT and Finance, Mario excels in cross-functional communication, engaging effectively with internal teams, financial institutions, technology partners, and software providers at all levels. His leadership and vision position him at the forefront of digital transformation in global treasury management, and he is respected by his peers.

Roger joined Kuehne + Nagel, a global logistics company, in 2011 as Head Treasury and Working Capital. In this role he oversees the global treasury and working capital activities of the Group. He started his career at an international bank and thereafter worked in other finance functions for large multinationals.

Michael is the Vice President and Head of Global Working Capital & Cash Leadership Office at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the world’s largest generic drug manufacturer. Bringing extensive expertise from the Pharmaceutical and Capital Markets industries, Michael plays a crucial role in overseeing Corporate Treasury activities at Teva. In his previous positions, he was leading Teva’s Global Treasury Operations.With a career spanning over 19 years, Michael has demonstrated leadership by guiding award-winning teams in implementing cutting-edge corporate finance and treasury methodologies. His diverse responsibilities include managing cash and liquidity, optimizing working capital, and mitigating financial risks within the treasury domain.Throughout his career, Michael has successfully navigated complex tasks such as managing banking relationships, facilitating funding for major M&A transactions, optimizing the balance sheet, and executing asset divestitures. He has also played a key role in financing public offerings and spearheaded the optimization of internal cross-organizational processes to improve working capital efficiencies, fortify cash flow forecasting, and ensure liquidity.Given Teva’s intricate global operations, spanning 60 countries and involving 50 currencies, Michael’s leadership within the Treasury team is instrumental in shaping and executing Teva’s comprehensive financial strategy.

Maggie is group treasurer at Aalberts N.V., a multinational company headquartered in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Aalberts is active in the building, industry and semicon sectors with products and technologies such as boiler room equipment, specialised heat and galvanic bath treatments, ultra-precision large frames and active vibration isolation. Prior to joining Aalberts, Maggie held various treasury positions at companies like LG Electronics, Royal Philips N.V. and CRH plc.

Thomas Schulz is chief reporter of Der SPIEGEL, Germany´s leading news organization.Previously, he was a senior US correspondent for Der SPIEGEL for almost a decade, initially based in New York from 2008, before moving to San Francisco in 2012 to set up Der SPIEGEL´s editorial office in Silicon Valley.His highly acclaimed international business bestseller “What Google really wants” was published in 2015 and translated into several languages. His follow up „Future Medicine” also immediately entered the bestseller list. His new book “Project Lifespan” was published in September `24.Schulz holds an MSc of Political Science from Frankfurt University and an MA in Communication Studies from University of Miami. He was awarded a Fulbright scholarship and researched international economic policy as a visiting scholar at Harvard University.Schulz has been named Journalist of the Year in Germany and awarded several prizes for excellence in journalism.

Sandeep is a Treasury Director at Avery Dennison. In his role, he is responsible for Global FX and non US Global liquidity amongst others. Prior to joining Avery Dennison, Sandeep has extensive experience across finance and risk consulting and has held several progressing corporate roles as well as risk consulting and external auditor with a Big 4. Sandeep holds a MBA and Msc in finance& economics and is a Chartered Accountant.

Mark Williams is Chief Asia Economist at Capital Economics, leading a team of analysts based in Singapore and London. He has three decades of experience covering the region, with a particular focus on China’s economy and financial markets. Mark’s work is regularly cited in the Economist, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and New York Times.

Mark and his team have developed a reputation for building innovative indicators to track important trends, including their China Activity Proxy, which has become widely followed since it was first published in 2009; more recently a gauge of tariff re-routing activity; and their Global Fracturing database that tracks how geopolitical shifts are affecting global trade and financial flows. Capital Economics is a global consultancy that provides macroeconomic insight, analysis and data to help clients make better investment decisions.

Before joining Capital Economics, Mark was at HM Treasury in London. He has degrees in Chinese and Economics from the universities of Edinburgh and Oxford.

Kortam is the Regional Treasurer for Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, one of Lesaffre’s largest, encompassing over 70 countries, 14 entities, 8 production sites, 7 Baking Centers and 7 Baking Ingredient Units, in key countries like UAE, Egypt, Turkey, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, and KenyaKortam has led several financing solutions for Africa businesses including Syndicated loans, ECA facilities, discounting facilities, supply chain financing facilities and bilateral facilities. In addition to formulating strategies and building business custom models to manage Liquidity, FX exposure and finance charges associated risks.Kortam is a Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), with over a decade of diversified finance experience in the areas of corporate finance, working capital management and financial risk management across various industries including Heavy machinery, FMCG and Pharma focusing on the region of Africa and the Middle East.

Commercially minded and results driven Group Treasurer with extensive experience in strategic treasury management, transformation and risk management. Has a track record of implementing strategic solutions, optimising liquidity and driving process improvements.

Daniel Franklin is Executive Editor and Senior Editor, Britain at The Economist. Daniel joined The Economist in 1983 to write about the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. His roles since then have included Europe editor, Britain editor, Washington bureau chief, editorial director of The Economist Intelligence Unit, editor-in-chief of Economist.com, business affairs editor and senior editor, US. For 17 years until 2019 he was editor of “The World in…”, The Economist’s annual publication on the year ahead. He is the editor of two books on the long-term future: “Megachange: The World in 2050” and “Megatech: Technology in 2050”. He also chairs The Economist Educational Foundation, which works to spread news literacy and help young people find their voice on issues that affect them.

Mrs. Yazgan received her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ankara University in 2003and her master’s degree in Economics from Middle East Technical University in 2005. Shepursued doctoral studies in Economics at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid where she alsoworked as a teaching assistant. She spent 10 years in corporate and investment banking,specializing in corporate marketing and credit at multinational banks. From 2015 to 2022,she served as Credits and Banking Relations Director at Yıldız Holding A.Ş. In October 2022,she joined Arçelik A.Ş. as Finance & Enterprise Risk Executive Director. She currentlyoversees IR, Treasury, Cash Management, Corporate Finance, Receivables, CreditManagement, Insurance and Risk Management.

Erwin is the Deputy Treasurer of Lipton Teas & Infusions, a private equity backed company that was carved out of Unilever in 2022 with headquarters in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In this role, he is responsible for cash flow forecasting, cash & liquidity management and working capital optimization.Prior to joining Lipton Teas & Infusions, Erwin was a senior manager in PwC’s treasury consulting practice focusing on cash and liquidity management and the set-up of treasury functions for carve-out companies. After that, he became Treasury Director at NIKE with global responsibility for cash flow forecasting, management reporting, bank relationship management and in-house bank implementation.Erwin holds a master’s degree in Finance and a postgraduate degree in Treasury Management & Corporate Finance.