EuroFinance

In an environment marked by geopolitical shocks, digital disruption, and mounting regulatory pressure, corporate treasury teams are being asked to do more—with limited resources. For Winny Li, Group treasurer at PPD, a pharmaceutical company, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the key to long-term resilience lies in one fundamental discipline: succession planning.

“It’s not a nice-to-have—it’s a must-have,” said Li. “You need to build succession into your team structure from day one.”

Treasury teams, despite often being small, manage global operations, use advanced technologies, and maintain critical relationships with stakeholders ranging from investors and banks to regulators and tech vendors. This makes continuity vital—not just for day-to-day operations, but for strategic risk management in an unstable geopolitical environment.

Li emphasised the need to embed succession planning into team structures early. Her own approach is systematic: every task is documented with a first and second backup assigned, ensuring no single point of failure. “From sanctions compliance to KYC documentation, and from FX risk to M&A activities—every piece of the puzzle must have continuity,” she said.

Planning in case a team member leaves is only half the story. Retention, she insists, is equally critical. “You don’t want to just plan for people leaving—you need to actively plan for people staying,” Li explained. This is where loyalty and institutional memory come into play. “I’m proud to say most team members are long term Treasury team members, one of them  has been here for 29 years,” she added.

Tomorrow’s treasury leaders today

Preparing the next generation of treasury professionals requires more than training; it requires intentional planning. Li believes this starts with identifying key roles and skills, then investing in people’s growth through job shadowing, cross-training, and peer learning.

Rather than assigning tasks in a rigid manner, Li prefers team-based learning—training two or three people on the same topic, and gradually rotating responsibilities so each member has a chance to lead. She emphasised knowing each team member personally, understanding their motivations and learning styles, and tailoring development plans accordingly.

“Some people thrive on weekly learning challenges, others prefer quarterly updates,” she explained. “Knowing your team helps you avoid overwhelming them while still encouraging growth.”

Li also encouraged junior team members to observe cross-departmental meetings, gradually giving them the opportunity to represent the treasury in broader discussions. It’s a step-by-step process that not only builds capability, but encourages ownership and leadership at all levels. 

Making treasury appealing to young talent

For young finance professionals and recent graduates, treasury often doesn’t top the list of dream jobs. But Li believes that can—and should—change.

“Treasury can give young people exactly what they’re looking for: meaningful work, exposure to strategy, and real-time impact,” she says. In a world where many graduates are drawn to purpose-driven roles, Li argues the treasury has much to offer—from supporting M&A and ESG financing to managing global cash flows and technological transformation.

“We deal with ESG financing, crisis response, digital payments, AI tools—you name it. There’s no dull moment,” she said. In her own team, she pointed out, she has four generations working side by side, including team members born as recently as 2001.

What’s needed, she said, is better branding. “We need to show them that treasury isn’t just about data generation, reporting on  what has happened. It’s more tech savvy, global, real-time impact and future looking strategic function.”

GenZ and tech

Technology, particularly AI and automation, is fundamentally reshaping treasury leadership. For Li, it’s about freeing up time for strategy by streamlining manual tasks like reconciliation, payment processing, and forecasting.

The next generation already comes equipped with a powerful advantage—technology fluency. “Young professionals today are born into tech. They’re adaptive, ambitious, and curious. They’ve lived through crisis after crisis, and they’re used to navigating disruption,” Li explained. “If we show them that treasury is not only strategic but also tech-forward, we’ll get them hooked.”

She pointed out that treasury nowadays is more  about interpreting data, validating assumptions, building predictive models, and utilizing the strengths of AI and digitisation tools to makedecisions that influence the business. “It’s a human-logic-over-technology kind of role,” she said. “And that balance is exactly what many younger professionals are looking for.”

“It’s about asking: what does the data mean for our future? What if market conditions change tomorrow—how do we pivot?” These are the kinds of questions that can excite the new generation.

Looking ahead to Budapest

With EuroFinance’s International Treasury Management in Budapest around the corner in October, Li is eager to dive into discussions on geopolitics, AI, regulatory shifts, and case studies from across the industry.

“There’s so much content—it’s going to be hard to choose what sessions to attend,” she said. But for Li, the most rewarding part remains the same: exchanging ideas, connecting with peers, and returning with fresh energy for the challenges ahead.

“I love learning from others’ experiences—what went well, what didn’t, and what they’d do differently.”

She’s  looking forward to the networking—meeting long-time peers, forging new relationships, and hearing fresh perspectives. “Treasury is evolving so fast. Events like this are critical for sharing knowledge, aligning on best practices, and preparing for what’s coming next.”

And for Li, what’s next is clear: building organisations where the treasury is not only prepared for today’s challenges, but future-proofed for whatever comes next.

Winny Li, Group treasurer at PPD, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific will be speaking at  EuroFinance’s International Treasury Management in Budapest  on the Next generation treasury talent and succession planning strategies with Ellen Cornelissen, Treasury director from Filtration Group.