The first day of the 31st annual EuroFinance’s International Treasury Management returned with more than 2,000 attendees, 150 speakers, 100 sponsors and exhibitors, financial institutions, technology providers and thought-leaders across sixty countries to discuss the theme “Treasury in transition”.

Guy Verhofstadt, member of the European Parliament opened proceedings as he discussed the “New World order” that was set in after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a conflict which has changed the world, from geopolitics and the economy to energy and food security.

Amid a lingering energy crisis, accelerating commodity inflation, supply chain bottlenecks and geopolitical instability, treasurers are scrambling for solutions to mitigate their businesses – from leveraging technology, to collaborating with partners- the treasury is truly in transition.

The conference further branched into five streams on core treasury topics:

The Practice of Treasury

Managing a corporate treasury is an incredibly complex process, from dealing with hundreds of bank accounts to managing multiple currencies, treasurers need to ensure their business-as-usual processes are efficient and more importantly, resilient.

During this stream, treasures discussed the fundamental aspects related to treasury, from post M&A treasury integration to virtual cash management and staffing strategies.

Co-creation and collaboration

With fast-changing technology, collaboration has never been more important for treasurers. Today banks and fintechs are working alongside treasury to develop more bespoke solutions that fit with a treasurer’s more niche challenges. Corporate treasurers shared a series of case studies to highlight this new collaborative world.

“EuroFinance provides an opportunity to connect the West to the East and If you have a common interest in finance, this is the best place to be” a delegate told EuroFinance

The tech-savvy treasurer

In today’s interconnected world, innovation rapidly pushes the frontiers within which businesses function – and treasury management is no exception. From APIs to cash forecasting, treasurers discussed how they are transforming their operations by employing different technologies.

Coping with risks and threats

Amidst an abrupt spike in inflation, rising interest rates and a volatile macroeconomic environment, treasurers discussed a diverse set of strategies including building a FX hedge system, adjusting the capital structure to control interest costs and a commodity risk programme in order to attenuate the risks posed by global tectonic shifts.

“Technology sessions do look interesting but given the events at the moment, anything linked to the macroeconomic theme is something that all treasurers and financial executives are all interested in” a delegate told EuroFinance

The changing face of treasury

Treasury is changing: digitisation, ESG, climate change, the continued impact of covid, alongside different ways of working and the digital imperative are driving a treasury reinvention. During this stream, treasurers highlighted how the changing treasury will be a highly digital and automated function, tasked with meeting strategic goals and changing remits.

The second day will feature an opening presentation from Göran Carstedt, Former head of IKEA North America as he speaks about climate change, ESG regulations and how treasurers should shift their strategies to achieve ESG goals.