A powerful start: leadership lessons from Treasury Accelerate
Published: Mar 2026
Treasury Accelerate is an exclusive programme created in collaboration with J.P. Morgan Payments and Treasury Today Group. Bringing together emerging treasury professionals to join a community that focuses on career progression and skills development with the aim of nurturing and fostering future treasury talent. The Treasury Accelerate community offers people at the beginning of their career the opportunity to join panel sessions and workshops on topics ranging from the technicalities of a TMS to digital currencies. The programme also brings insights from experienced treasurers to help people further down the career ladder learn from their expertise and build their network. In the next in our series of spotlight articles where junior treasury professionals share their experiences, we hear from Darius Okocha, Portfolio Support Cash Analyst at Janus Henderson.
Darius Okocha
Portfolio Support Cash Analyst
Janus Henderson Investors is a global asset management firm providing investment solutions to individual, intermediary, and institutional investors worldwide. Formed in 2017 through the merger of US-based Janus Capital Group and UK-based Henderson Global Investors, the firm manages approximately US$493bn in assets under management and employs thousands of investment professionals across major financial centres globally.
Which Treasury Accelerate initiative has stood out the most?
The first session in Treasury Accelerate when senior leaders shared their insights on navigating today’s treasury environment really stood out for me. It helped me see the diverse journeys senior leaders have led. It also underscored the importance of developing as a professional and establishing my brand via networking and other channels.
What is your proudest achievement to date?
I am proud of pursuing a career that specialises in treasury via the ACT, particularly because the wider finance industry does not necessarily value treasury as an important and independent function outside of pre-existing finance and operation’s teams. But treasury is becoming much more prominent within finance, thanks particularly to the effective marketing and a strategic direction spearheaded by the ACT. Even my employers are planning to create specific treasury functions which I will be able to help shape and define using my growing knowledge of treasury.
I am proud that I have advocated for the ACT and have been able to prove the value tangibly, all whilst being husband and new father to my eight-month old son. It goes without saying, I am excited to see where treasury is headed.
How does your employer encourage you to explore Treasury Accelerate?
Given I am the only member of the organisation with ACT membership, my manager and colleagues have provided ample support to engage fully with the Treasury Accelerate programme and embrace my professional journey. I increasingly collaborate with wider teams on treasury related matters, and my managers are also pushing me to work more closely with the ACT.
The Treasury Accelerate initiative in collaboration with J.P. Morgan Payments and Treasury Today Group invites people new to treasury to join a community focused on nurturing and fostering future treasury talent. Consisting of panel sessions, workshops, networking sessions and spotlight profiles to help junior treasurers learn from industry experts and build their network.
