Euromoney Podcasts: Treasury and Turbulence

Given the attractive returns offered by cryptocurrency investments, corporate treasurers are paying increasing attention to the emerging asset-class. But the stakes are high. Crypto is volatile, accounting for it isn't easy and using it in the real world remains elusive. In this final episode, we explore if there is a way for treasurers to benefit from crypto and the underlying technology - without being completely exposed to the risks attached to it.

Distributed ledger or blockchain technology and decentralized finance demonstrate a new way for information and assets to be exchanged instantly at a very low cost. So, can treasurers leverage this technology in their day-to-day - to share information between businesses, settle invoices, access supply chain finance or even improve their working capital?

Cloud technology, blockchain, 5G, robotic process automation and virtual reality are upending antiquated ways of working for corporate treasurers. As such, today's treasurer is just as likely to be an expert coder or gifted engineer as they are an accountant or financial expert. But how does this new “breed” of corporate treasurer use new technology to best serve the companies they work for?

In this next series of Treasury and Turbulence by Euromoney we explore how treasury is evolving alongside technology, where bottlenecks exist and what to expect moving forwards. This is Next Generation Treasury in association with Citi and presented by Kanika Saigal.

The moment a US regulator knocks at the door might not be the worst experience a firm will have if it breaks an economic sanction. Every member of staff, especially those at the top, face an uphill battle for that company’s survival: becoming unbanked, reforming the culture within and salvaging a damaged reputation. How can companies recover?

What it is it like to work at OFAC? What do sanctions enforcers think about the companies who break their regulations? And how will sanctions work in the UK now that it is no longer in Europe? The regulators and enforcers of economic sanctions lift the curtain on their work life.

What happens when a company breaks an economic sanction and gets caught? Two CEOs reveal what it was like when US federal agents come knocking, why they got into trouble in the first place, and what others can learn from their experience.

Treasury and Turbulence, brings you the human stories behind corporate risk. Today's companies must seize new technology, navigate the complex geo-political climate and convince their shareholders they tow an ethical line. In our next series, we hear two cautionary tales of companies that broke US sanctions. Executives tell us what it is like to have law enforcement ring at your door, US regulators reveal how they got there, and both explain how you repair and rebuild, once the damage is done.

Big data, satellite feeds from space and social media platforms is just some of the technology changing corporate disclosure. In this episode, we will be looking at the tech innovations that are helping corporates map their supply chain and influence environmental social and governance (ESG) goals on the way.

Over $30 trillion has been invested in environmental social and governance (ESG) themed assets. With over 600 ESG rankings and ratings and over 4,000 ESG key performance indicators, standardization has never been more important. But who decides on ESG standards in the corporate supply chain and how can banks help corporate treasurers navigate this evolving market?

In this episode, we’ll be focusing on the disconnect between the factories where clothes are made and the biggest investment houses where those suits are worn. With corporates under constant pressure to increase profits, how seriously do they take their codes of conduct – and should institutional investors be doing more to put pressure on corporates to improve environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals

The world as we know it has turned on its head. Reeling from Covid-19, supply chains have fractured beyond recognition and firms globally are scrambling to stay afloat in order to get goods to market. But as the lockdown continues, are companies cutting corners – and putting their environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals aside – at the expense of their workers? The same workers who will be vital once the recovery begins?

Artificial intelligence has the ability to transform the way we make payments. As such, banks and payment platforms are increasingly leveraging this type of technology to help them streamline a number of time consuming processes, especially when it comes to compliance.But how does it work and what are the main challenges to the implementation of tech in payments? Euromoney explores the issues in this episode of Treasury and Turbulence, 'Redefining payments with AI'.

Companies in developed economies take it for granted that their cross-border transactions will be seamless. But for those working in riskier emerging markets, moving money from one place to another can create a whole host of issues that may not be apparent at first glance. In this episode of Treasury and Turbulence, Euromoney will examine some of the issues relating to moving money across borders and what new tools exist to tackle them.

When it comes to simple, every day transactions, cash just doesn’t seem to be relevant anymore. Contactless cards and smart phones are increasingly replacing cash as a relatively safe, convenient and efficient way to transact. But is this transition as straightforward as it sounds? In this episode, Euromoney will explore the cost of moving towards a cashless society and the evolving role of cash for the future.

In the unceasing struggle against cyber criminals - where hackers seem always to be one step ahead – companies are increasingly realising the best form of defence could be to leave themselves open to attack. Rather than trying to outwit hackers, these companies offer “bug bounties”, paying hackers to attack their systems and report back the weaknesses they find. Hear from the people in charge of organising cyber defence at some of the world’s biggest corporations, and the ex-hackers they are paying to break into their systems.

The early 20th century saw the emergence of the multinational corporate. But the harsh geopolitical and economic circumstances of inter-war Europe forced many companies to take extreme steps to prepare their business for the looming threat of war.In this episode, we tell the story of the German pharmaceutical company Beiersdorf – creator of Nivea beauty cream – and Willy Jacobsohn, its Jewish CEO, who in the 1930s became an early adopter of the holding company. The Beiersdorf story exemplifies the challenges many corporates faced at that time – and the innovative solutions they instigated had some surprising repercussions that went well beyond saving the business.When facing extreme geopolitical upheaval, what lessons can treasurers in the 21st century learn from the past?

A disorderly Brexit will have implications across the economy, but few sectors demonstrate the scale of the challenge better than the auto industry, which has made an art form of cross border manufacturing that arrives just in time for the production line. In this episode, Euromoney will examine the impact that Brexit will have on the corporate treasury function. It explains the lessons treasurers can learn from disruption to the auto industry and what actions they might take to minimise disruption to their own businesses.

Corporate treasurers are too often the unsung heroes of their businesses. Operating in the background, they only become noticeable when things go wrong. This is because they are the people responsible for keeping their firm afloat. In this series, Euromoney examines how treasurers battle risk and defend company interests – sometimes under impossible conditions. From world wars, to geo-political risks, to cyber-crime, these are just some of the travails of the corporate treasurer in the past, present and future.