Editorial

Embracing change

As 2020 draws to a close this seems an apt moment to reflect on a most extraordinary year for all of us. The Asia-Pacific region, although the first hit by the pandemic, has been spared the lockdown measures that have occurred in much of Europe, North and South America.

That being said, there has been now almost 12 months of working from home and disruptions to business. Over the course of the year we have sought to offer a community space to bring our APAC readership together. The power of this connection cannot be understated and has only been highlighted by a year in which all of our personal and professional relationships have been impacted.

Our Women in Treasury Singapore Forum took place digitally in the summer of this year and in October we hosted our Adam Smith Awards Asia 2020 live winners announcement. Although we have missed hosting our regular events in Asia and our usual Adam Smith Awards Asia Lunch, it has been fantastic to be able to come together digitally and to support and celebrate our corporate community across Asia Pacific. With that in mind our Adam Smith Awards Asia 2020 season is in full swing and will feature the success stories of all our winners within our Adam Smith Awards Asia podcast programme which goes live later this month. Please sign up to our podcast channel wherever you get your podcasts from so you can hear the stories behind each winning solution.

In this new edition, the last of 2020, we look at the impact of this year’s pandemic on the payments and collections space as the pandemic affects Asian exporters’ payments and technology shakes up the trade payments space. We also assess the evolution of the cybercrime space and its refined focus on treasury as a target. 2020 has certainly done nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of cyber criminals as they optimise any weaknesses in corporate technology.

Elsewhere we discuss the importance of corporate purpose and the role that treasury can play in delivering it. We also speak with Mumtaz Dole of Vestas in our Corporate View segment and assess both open banking and the risks and opportunities of China’s new BRI infastructure.

As the world hears news of Pfizer’s development of a vaccine and Joe Biden becomes the President elect for the USA we can be hopeful that there will be improved global relations and an end to the pandemic in sight that give us cause for optimism in 2021. And we look forward to providing the latest news and insight and continuing to offer a platform for community and information in Asia Pacific for our corporate readership.

Stay safe, be well and see you in 2021!