EuroFinance

In today’s credit markets, the old assumptions no longer hold. What used to be a five-year plan is now revised every few weeks, and even long-standing banking relationships are being stress-tested.

Against this backdrop, at EuroFinance’s International Treasury & Cash Management Summit in Miami, a treasury expert from GraceKennedy—a Caribbean conglomerate with diversified operations across the Caribbean, Europe, and North America—shared how the company is charting a different path through volatility. He spoke about navigating the tension between strategic growth and financial caution in a world where planning horizons are constantly shrinking.

GraceKennedy’s pivot to markets

GraceKennedy was laying the groundwork for a major growth leap. “We have an ambitious target to double our revenues by 2030 and triple our profits,” said Greig Lindo, Head of treasury and corporate finance. That trajectory calls for a shift away from conservative, bank—led financing toward more dynamic capital market instruments—especially outside the Caribbean, where such moves are rare for corporates.

“It’s new waters for us,” Lindo admitted. “The Caribbean probably doesn’t get a lot of shine in terms of going to the international capital markets outside of government deals.” To support its expansion strategy, GraceKennedy is widening its banking relationships and exploring how to navigate international flows more efficiently.

Also read: What it takes to build a world-class treasury team

Jockeying for transactional dominance

“Banks always want the largest share of the pie,” said Lindo, especially when a company has both significant consumer flows and its own commercial bank. International banks are mostly satisfied with their piece, but local banks are “a bit more present” and eager to compete for a greater share of the business.

Tariffs and trade-offs

GraceKennedy’s exposure to North America means it can’t ignore tariff shifts-no matter how unpredictable they’ve become. “We’re not independent,” said Lindo. “The US supplies about 30-40% of the group’s revenue… we’re not going to shift away from it.”

While tariffs are a concern, Lindo said consumer demand is likely to remain stable. “Are people gonna stop eating jerk chicken because the seasoning is a little more expensive?” he joked. “We made the seasoning.”

Also read: As trade tensions continue, treasury turns experience into strategy

Learning from the cycle

Lindo acknowledged there were things they might have done differently. For Lindo, it was the missed chance to raise cheaper capital years ago. “If I could go back, I’d take more money back then and put it to work.”  He believes his company is better positioned-financially and strategically—to handle whatever the next three weeks-or three years—may bring.

Also read: EuroFinance tariff poll: Tariffs are back—but treasury isn’t blinking (yet)

Is capital markets access becoming a strategic must-have for the treasury, or still a selective play for a few? We welcome your insights at [email protected] and may include your opinion in a follow-up article.