What is a Corporate Treasurer?
Corporate treasurers are experts that handle a company’s money and financial risks. A corporate treasurer can be thought of as the chief financial officer’s right arm because they contribute to the development of financial policies and plans. The corporate treasurer manages both actual and anticipated cash. Simply expressed, the treasurer’s responsibility is to guarantee that the proper quantity of cash is available at the right time, in the right place, and in the right currency.
Many external and internal factors have a financial influence on a corporation. The corporate treasurer monitors these elements closely and implements policies and methods to reduce any possible risks to the company. Corporate treasurer opportunities are available for entry-level individuals through professionals. Some job titles associated with corporate treasury positions are:
- Treasury analysts, treasury dealers, and treasury accountants
- Risk and cash managers
- Finance directors or financial controllers
- Credit risk and financial analysts
- Group treasurers, tax directors, and head of treasury operations
- Managing directors and corporate secretaries
- Chief financial officers (CFOs) and CEOs (CEOs)
On the market, we see treasury teams looking for experts with not just great finance knowledge but also strategic thinking skills, technology know-how, and business partnering ability. Being a successful Corporate Treasurer entails reconciling a long-term financial vision for the firm with the capacity to handle the day-to-day tiny issues. Because the Corporate Treasurer works with numbers, accuracy is essential, especially when it comes to balancing books.
Responsibilities
Some of the responsibilities that you may expect when working as a Corporate Treasurer include:
- Managing investments, including handling extra funds and borrowing needs
- Recognizing, appraising, and managing financial risks.
- Raising funds to support new business projects and putting funding solutions in place so that money is accessible whenever it is required.
- Managing the company’s cash flows and liquidity by ensuring that it has enough money to fulfil its short and long-term goals.
- Participating in mergers and acquisitions
- Remaining current on accounting regulations, taxation, and regulation, as well as how they may affect your business and treasury activities.
- Monitoring external market circumstances, assessing how they may affect the firm, and preparing appropriately
- Creating a financial plan and policies to support corporate goals.
- Collecting, analysing, and transforming data into understandable information to aid in issue solving and decision making within the organisation.
- Working closely with employees from various sectors of the company to ensure they have the funds they need to support initiatives.
Salary
A Corporate Treasurer's salary is determined by various criteria, including education, experience, and employment location.The UK national average salary for a Corporate Treasury is £40,950, ranging from £25,000 to £68,000.
The average London-based salary for Corporate Treasury is £44,978, ranging from £28,000 to £73,000.
Working hours and work location
Corporate Treasurers usually work Monday through Friday with conventional office hours; however, these are sometimes extended during peak seasons to fulfil project deadlines and attend meetings. A Corporate Treasurer can work at both large and small businesses. Government agencies, non-profit organisations, for-profit organisations, and small enterprises all require the services of a Corporate Treasurer. They can work anywhere in the world since their job is internationally relevant.
What to expect
The Corporate Treasurer is responsible for assessing the benefits and disadvantages of business expansion projects while dealing with risks. Foreign currency exchange, interest rate loans, and cash shortages are all issues that the Corporate Treasurer must handle. When a company has spare cash, it may decide to invest it in order to generate more income. The Corporate Treasurer is responsible for researching and recommending creditworthy financial security issuers. Treasury services are nevertheless performed in firms that lack a treasury department organisation. This is feasible because a team member may occasionally assume the tasks of the Corporate Treasurer.
Corporate Treasurer jobs sometimes merge with other roles, such as Corporate Controller/Corporate Treasurer. In certain companies, the vice president is also the Corporate Treasurer and is in charge of financial planning and analysis. As established by The Association of Corporate Treasurers (ACT), the chartered body for treasury, there are five basic treasury functions in which you might specialise as a treasury specialist. These are:
- Treasury management and controls
- Funding and capital markets
- Risk administration
- Corporate financial management
- Control of cash and liquidity
Qualifications
A university degree is required to start your career as a professional Corporate Treasurer. Many Corporate Treasurers are accountants who took on treasury duties and progressed in their professions.
Some relevant degrees for this position include:
Any comparable degree is acceptable, as is at least one year of Treasury work experience. A master’s degree in any of the above-mentioned subjects can ensure that you get the most prestigious position within the Corporate Treasury business.
Skills
The skill set that you will have to possess or acquire in order to become a successful Corporate Treasurer consists of three main areas. These are technical skills, behavioural skills and business skills.
Must have skills
Specifically, you will have to be:
- Excellent with numbers
- A problem solver
- Capable of strategic thinking and planning
- Open to new experiences and challenges
- Technically skilled and eager to learn and improve your skills
- Excellent when it comes to attention to detail
- Inquisitive about the larger business and eager to play a significant role
- Social and outgoing
- Determined, diligent, and self-motivated
- Conservative and confident.
- An effective communicator
- Excellent connection builder
- Confident in working with individuals at all levels and from all disciplines.
Work experience
Taking financial analysis classes is the quickest approach to learning what you'll need to know on the job before you're employed as a Corporate Treasurer.
It is critical to begin with a solid grasp of accounting concepts and financial statement reading. From there, you should have a decent Excel crash course under your belt, teaching you the fundamentals such as shortcuts, formulae, and functions. You can then graduate to more sophisticated classes that will teach you valuation and financial modelling. Apart from obtaining the relevant degree, you can advance and get experience by joining organisations like The Association of Corporate Treasurers and getting certified. The Association of Corporate Treasurers in the United Kingdom is a leading advocate for Corporate Treasury professionalism.
It is widely regarded as the gold standard for excellence and expertise in Corporate Treasury worldwide. It has approximately 7,000 members all across the world. The Association has five levels of membership. You can join as a student or as a business member. In addition, there are affiliate, fellowship, and associate membership levels. The ACT’s certificates end at the MBA level, and it is the only professional degree in treasury management in the UK. Corporate Treasurers frequently enrol in the ACT’s Diploma in Treasury Management program. The diploma is a fundamental Treasury qualification that includes three required subjects. They are treasury management, treasury risk management, and treasury corporate finance. Trade finance, tax and regulation for treasury working capital, and financial reporting are further topics covered.
The following are the important ACT professional qualifications that you should consider pursuing:
- Fundamentals of Treasury Certificate (CertTf)
- Diploma in Treasury Management (DipTM)
- Certificate in Treasury Management (CertT)
- Advanced Diploma in Treasury Management
Career prospects
People often enter Corporate Treasury careers by rising through the ranks from an accounting job on the corporate side or by switching from accounting or banking.
Analysts are entry-level occupations. They can advance to become managers, directors, and, eventually, Corporate Treasurers. Moving up through the ranks might take anything from two to five years. Most people who work in treasury stay on the corporate side. Opportunities exist to advance inside or to switch to another firm. Moving up might lead to positions such as VP of treasury or treasurer, as well as VP of finance, VP of corporate development, or CFO.
Employers
Related Courses
The one-year full-time program at the University of the West of Scotland will provide you with the executive training you need to establish your career as a Corporate Treasurer. Because the London Campus is located in London’s financial district, you will gain a unique perspective on UK business and an advantage in the lucrative Corporate employment market.
The University of the West of Scotland’s one-year full-time program will offer you the executive training you need to launch your Corporate Treasury career. The London Campus is located in the heart of the financial area of London, providing you with a unique perspective on UK business and finances.
This two years and eight months long full-time degree is offered by the University of the West of Scotland London, and students can select from various start dates. Students at UWS London have access to industry experts, guest lecturers, and seasoned professionals for instruction. The fact that this course is taught on the London Campus in the middle of the United Kingdom is its finest feature.
