GE Vernova powers new trade finance model into life
Published: Sep 2024
Best Risk Management Solution
Overall Winner
GE Vernova
Photo of Lynda McGoey, GE Vernova and Adam Taplinger, PwC.
Lynda McGoey
Assistant Treasurer – Global Head of Trade Finance
GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) is a purpose-built global energy company that includes Power, Wind and Electrification segments and is supported by its accelerator businesses. Building on over 130 years of experience tackling the world’s challenges, GE Vernova is uniquely positioned to help lead the energy transition by continuing to electrify the world while simultaneously working to decarbonise it. GE Vernova is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, with approximately 75,000 employees across 100+ countries around the world.
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The challenge
When GE spun out its energy business GE Vernova, the new company needed to establish its own trade finance operating model. But pulling out the relevant threads from GE’s sprawling trade finance programme across 150 countries and 50+ banking relationships to create a tailored and bespoke portfolio, all the while minimising disruption to its fledgling standalone operations, was never going to be straightforward.
One of the biggest challenges was establishing new bi-lateral trade finance lines, and a US$3bn trade finance credit line for GE Vernova – an essential pillar to scaling business, working in a complex sector. It involved negotiating terms and conditions, evaluating the company’s risk profile with banks and completing legal documentation. It also required close collaboration with GE Vernova’s legal, tax and compliance teams; as well as know your customer (KYC) expertise and working to a tight timeline that linked in with GE Vernova publishing its own financials to obtain credit line approval from banks.
The solution
The following actions and steps were required to execute a spin-off of this magnitude:
Creation of robust workplans, with ~50 milestones encompassing the entire scope of separation across the dimensions of people, process and technology.
Current state assessments.
Weekly Steering Co individual meetings specific to each of the three businesses.
300+ hours dedicated to external bank meetings.
Target operating model designs.
System readiness testing for all three companies – three different platforms.
Data migration to two newly-created systems (GE Aerospace (GEA) & GE Healthcare (GEHC), plus certification on ALOC which is now the GE Vernova platform for trade finance).
Policy compliance and governance – designed and rolled out.
Hiring and consolidating new plus 20 team members.
Knowledge transfer and formalised training (over 15 hours).
Integration of business COE and corporate team to form one GE Vernova TF function.
Credit line establishment with GE Vernova relationship banks.
Identification of key banking partners based on historical relationship, outstanding bank exposure, commercial pipeline analysis and country representation.
Negotiation of reimbursement agreements and assignment and assumption agreements with relationship banks.
Bank evaluation of GE Vernova creditworthiness using public financial information and credit ratings to establish credit capacities for new credit lines.
Establishment of US$3bn committed facility with 23 participant banks. And bilateral credit lines with relationship banks.
Once credit lines were approved by the banks and agreements were executed, the financial risk was transferred to GE Vernova.
PwC played an instrumental role in supporting the design of the operating model, monitoring and tracking the establishment of credit lines, providing project management support, and deploying the reporting infrastructure for GE Vernova’ ALOC system. Additionally, GE Vernova utilised its extensive network of global relationship banks.
Best practice and innovation
The trade finance team used the Hoshin Kanri method to ensure the effective implementation of strategic objectives and to drive execution throughout the organisation. This method eliminates inefficiencies and unnecessary procedures, ultimately reducing waste. The team also incorporated various lean methodologies to support execution, promote the adoption of best practices and foster innovation, all of which drove separation execution.
Key benefits
Risk mitigated.
Improved visibility.
Process efficiencies.
GE Vernova effectively managed the disentanglement of interconnected activities to establish its own trade finance function, separate from GE creating a fit-for-purpose trade finance credit facility within 12 months.
Adam Taplinger
Global Treasury and Working Capital Partner, PwC
Setting a new industry standard with their exceptional risk management, the GE Vernova trade finance team has masterfully navigated off-balance sheet risks during the complex corporate separation. Their strategic execution in separating three distinct trade finance operations and securing ample trade finance credit capacity to fuel business growth is remarkable. As a strategic partner in this monumental separation of GE, PwC is honoured to have shared in the building of this remarkable achievement, reflecting the resilience and unwavering dedication of the GE Vernova trade finance team.
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