Editorial

Focusing on next-gen treasury

Corporate treasurers have plenty to do with managing their day-to-day responsibilities, but they also need to anticipate what the next generation and future of treasury looks like.

In this issue we cover a number of topics that show how major trends are unfolding. Payments innovation for years has been changing the way that people pay, but a dearth of venture capital (VC) funding has hit start-ups. We consider how this change will impact innovation in the future as payments companies are now focusing on growth over profitability.

The nature of digitalisation is always a hot topic, and treasury needs to constantly transform and improve. This is not just about technology and technical skills, however. As Pulat Yunusmetov, who has become an expert in leading digital transformation projects, explains, soft skills are just as important. In the Question Answered section, we look at the fundamentals of what corporates need to consider when they implement a treasury management system (TMS).

Meanwhile, the BRICS grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has added five members – making it BRICS+ – and we consider how this will shift the geopolitical landscape of the future towards the Global South. Also, under the chairship of Russia this year, Vladimir Putin will use this opportunity to demonstrate that Russia is not a pariah and has friends among developing economies.

Without knowing what the future actually looks like, it is hard to manage risk. Yet treasurers still need to make important decisions about how to manage their risk. In this issue we cover how essential derivatives are to managing this risk effectively – and whether they need to be avoided altogether.

Also, sustainability is a major trend, and we investigate how companies are on their journey to addressing changes that need to be made for the environment and reduce carbon emissions.

Explaining the risks that are involved to the corporation are key skills of treasurers and a major trend is that treasurers will be increasingly called upon in the boardroom to provide input to strategic decision-making. We look at how treasurers can communicate effectively with the board when the need arises.