In this episode, host Mike Richards talks to James Kelly, about his career as a treasury leader and his passion for AI and technology.

James Kelly s the SVP Treasury and Enterprise Risk Management at Pearson, a FTSE 100 learning company. During his time at Pearson, James's team have established a reputation as being leading innovators in treasury, winning the 2023 TMI award for best AI deployment, best emerging technology solution at the 2024 Adam Smith awards and winning in the bonds under £500m at the ACT's 2021 deal of the year awards for Pearson's debut social bond issuance. The team has established a comprehensive in-house bank structure employing high levels of automation to drive efficiency. Pearson also uses Cashforce, a leading AI enabled cash forecasting solution to produce central cash forecasts on behalf of operating companies, which they then critique and optimise.

The episode begins with James discussing his early career in finance and how he transitioned into treasury at Kingfisher PLC. He then talks about his experience at Sky and Rentokil, where he gained front office and M&A experience. James shares his journey to Pearson, where he faced the challenge of transforming the company amidst changing market conditions. He also discusses his passion for AI and automation in treasury processes.

What to Expect:

• James shares his early career experiences and how he entered the treasury field.
• He discusses his roles at Kingfisher, Sky, and Rentokil, highlighting key learnings and experiences.
• James talks about the challenges and opportunities he faced at Pearson and the importance of transformation.      
• He shares his passion for AI and automation in treasury processes and how it can benefit treasurers.
• James provides practical advice for treasury professionals starting their careers and those looking to progress.

You can connect with James Kelly on LinkedIn.

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