In this episode, Tom is joined by James Kelly, SVP of Treasury, Risk Management, and Insurance at Pearson, and Declan Ware, Group Treasurer at EMR Group, from Kyriba Live Exchange in London. They discuss the evolving challenges in treasury management, the impact of AI in finance, and strategic planning amidst economic uncertainties.

Guest Quotes:

James:

“There's a hygiene gateway which is, make sure that there's enough liquidity for the next five years or whatever that you need for getting concerned. As soon as you're past that, it's about free cash conversion. Because it gives credibility to the profit number, it ensures that you've got the liquidity going forward, and it provides that kind of, that lifeblood to propel future investment. And if that's looking good, you end up with happy investors.”

Declan:

“To pick up on your point there on culture, I think that is key. The business I'm involved in, as the name suggests, is involved in metal recycling. Now, outside looking in, maybe 10 years ago, that was seen as a very basic industry, a bit dirty, a bit underhand. Whereas, if you look at the technological advances within that industry, there's a lot of science, there's a lot of technology, and there's a real culture within the organization of continuous improvement…When I look at my team specifically, I try and encourage that. So I'll encourage the opportunities to go and self learn. I won't tell them to do it. I won't say you've got to come back and tell me everything you know about AI by the end of the week. I'll encourage and certainly promote opportunities.”

Links & Resources:

Connect with Tom Gavaghan

Connect with Declan Ware

Connect with James Kelly

Learn more about Kyriba

Learn more about EMR Group

Learn more about Pearson