Editorial

The uncertainty principle

The whole Brexit experience for the business community has been characterised by an expanding series of unknowns (both known and unknown, as former US Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld would say), playing out at length. The uncertainty that this has foisted upon many sectors across the UK, Europe and beyond has been challenging, to say the least. It is one that many treasurers will have had to manage, despite the lack of hard facts.

With the exit date of 29^th March falling after the deadline of this edition, by the time you read this it may well be all over bar the shouting. Or complete chaos. Or…well, who knows. We will of course be covering events as they unfold, examining how treasurers will be affected by the decisions taken.

But there is more to life than Brexit (even if for anyone living in the UK it may not feel like it). Whatever happens come the day, treasurers can rest assured that they will continue to be challenged by a host of other ongoing scenarios. In this issue we ask the experts what role artificial intelligence might play in helping companies manage the darker sides of trade such as sanctions compliance and fraud detection. We also take an in-depth view of global transaction banking, questioning its relevance in a world of ever-changing threats and opportunities.

Funding comes under the microscope within these pages too, as we investigate its human side, learning how to manage debt investor relations in the presence of some well-accomplished treasurers. Personal skills, in the context of career progression, also come in for close scrutiny in our exploration of the role of coaching, mentoring and training in professional development.

With the addition of a back to basics take on the once-feared but now ubiquitous cloud technology, this issue acknowledges that life goes on and that treasurers have a vital job to do, come what may.