Comcast is the world’s largest media company, bringing together some of the world’s most exciting entertainment platforms, from Xfinity cable and wireless services in the US, Sky in the UK, and NBCUniversal’s portfolio of news, entertainment, streaming services and theme parks.

Since 2019, Comcast’s treasury has been engaged in a global programme to transform its activities and connectivity both within the business and beyond. In this episode, Bobbie Eiseman, President of- Comcast Capital Corporation, outlines some of the project facets, achievements and success factors so far.

DEME (www.deme-group.com) is a world leader in the highly specialised fields of dredging, land reclamation, marine infrastructure, offshore energy and environmental remediation. With more than 145 years of experience and about 5,000 highly skilled professionals, the Group has built up a vast bank of knowledge and expertise, and provides tailor-made solutions, innovation and new technologies to support customers’ projects safely, efficiently and cost-effectively.

In 2017, Geert Wouters, Head of Structured Finance and Treasury, DEME, took on responsibility for Treasury, and has since embarked on a multi-faceted transformation project, as he describes in this episode. This includes screening of payments against international sanctions lists, an activity more commonly managed by banks.

Every year, the European Association of Corporate Treasurers (EACT) publishes a survey amongst its members to understand corporate treasurers’ major priorities, challenges, and the technology innovations they intend to implement over the next 1-2 years. This year’s survey is of particular interest, as the first since most of the Covid-19 restrictions came to an end.

In this episode, Helen Sanders speaks with François Masquelier, Chair of EACT, Christian Mnich, Head of Solution Management, Treasury and Working Capital, Jan Dirk van Beusekom, Head of Strategic Marketing Cash Management, Trade Finance and Factoring and Didier Vandenhaute, Partner, PwC.

Over the past year, treasurers have managed the challenges of remote working, rapidly evolving business models, digitisation and an unprecedented focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. During this period, Journeys to Treasury participants have had the opportunity to reflect on the year that has passed, and the year ahead. In this final podcast of the first series, the Journeys to Treasury team share their thoughts and reflections. For the seventh episode of the Journeys to Treasury podcast, Helen Sanders, speaks with Jan Dirk van Beusekom, Head of Strategic Marketing, BNP Paribas Cash Management & Trade Solutions, Christian Mnich, VP, Head of Solution Management, Treasury and Working Capital Management, SAP, François Masquelier, Chair, European Association of Corporate Treasurers (EACT), and Didier Vandenhaute, Treasury Consulting Partner, PwC.

eCommerce has continued to grow and evolve over recent years, but this expansion has been accelerated by COVID 19 as sales moved rapidly online. It is not simply how customers transact that is changing, however, but the way that sellers engage with them. In the past, many companies sold via distributors or retailers, and/ or third-party marketplaces. This made it difficult to develop direct insights, engage directly with consumers and build loyalty.

For the sixth episode of the Journeys to Treasury podcast, Helen Sanders, speaks with Anne-Christin Ahrens, Solution Manager, Billing & Revenue Innovation Management, SAP, Neil Pein, Head of Payments Transformation, BNP Paribas, and Nicolas Vincent, Partner, Retail & Consumer, PwC.

Although every market and region is at a different level of maturity in the digitisation of payments, digital payment methods and platforms are emerging globally, with an increasing focus on real-time settlement, rich data and an excellent customer experience. In this rapidly changing context, treasurers need to understand both the evolving needs of the business, and changing wider market opportunities, to help realise the company’s digital strategy.

For the fifth episode of the Journeys to Treasury podcast, Helen Sanders, speaks with Coralie van Zyl, Head of Product Development, Payments and Receivables, BNP Paribas, Christian Mnich, Head of Solution Management, Treasury and Working Capital, SAP, Karsten Kohl, Principal, Financial & Treasury Management, PwC, and Massimo Battistella, EACT.

As businesses in all industries place environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues at the core of their strategy, treasurers are keen to support the company’s ESG agenda, as well as creating an impact within their own business function. Given the breadth of sustainability and ESG issues, and diverse priorities, it can be difficult to determine where to focus in order to make the most impact.

For the fourth episode of the Journeys to Treasury podcast, Helen Sanders, speaks with Viktor Ivanov, Head of Sustainability for Transaction Banking, EMEA, BNP Paribas, Stanton Miller, Deputy Head of Treasury Solutions, Bank of the West, and Patrick Simeon, EACT.

A year since the pandemic closed our offices, treasurers are looking back at the experience of remote working, and thinking about what their treasury organisation might look like in the future. What will the future of work look like, and how can treasurers make their teams more successful, whether working at home, in the office, or a combination of the two?

For the third episode of the Journeys to Treasury podcast, Helen Sanders, speaks with (below, left to right):

• Steffen Diel, Head of Global Treasury, SAP;

• Barbara Pinzan, Director, PwC; and

• Mike Richards, CEO, The Treasury Recruitment Company.

Digitisation has been a theme for treasurers and finance managers for many years, but it became a higher priority during the pandemic, as the risks and limitations of manual processes and interactions between systems and counterparties became clear. Over recent months, we have seen an acceleration in treasurers’ digital adoption. Initially, the focus was to plug automation gaps. Today, however, treasurers and their systems vendors and banks, are taking a longer term, more strategic approach to digitisation, automation and data.

For the second episode of the Journeys to Treasury podcast, Helen Sanders, Director, Asymmetric Solutions speaks with (below, left to right):

• Jan Dirk van Beusekom, Head of Strategic Marketing BNP Paribas Cash Management & Trade Finance;

• Christian Mnich, VP, Head of Solution Management, Treasury and Working Capital Management, SAP; and

• Damien McMahon, Partner, PwC.

In the first of the Journeys to Treasury podcast series, our experts preview the results of two major studies for 2021 undertaken by the EACT and PwC respectively, to understand the trends in corporate treasury as we transition into a post-pandemic environment.

Helen Sanders, Director, Asymmetric Solutions speaks with (below, left to right):

• Jan Dirk van Beusekom, Head of Strategic Marketing BNP Paribas Cash Management & Trade Finance;

• Christian Mnich, VP, Head of Solution Management, Treasury and Working Capital Management, SAP;

• François Masquelier, Vice Chair, European Association of Corporate Treasurers (EACT); and

• Sarah Korykora, Senior Associate, PwC.