In this episode of The Open Ledger Podcast, host Stephan Ireland speaks with Damaari Drumright, Former VP Treasurer at Ankura, about treasury visibility, bank fee management, and banking relationships. Damaari explains how treasury teams often lose visibility as businesses grow, leading to higher costs, budget challenges, and missed opportunities to improve banking services. He discusses the importance of strong governance, better controls, and using data to identify issues before they become costly. Damaari also shares how technology, dashboards, and AI can help treasury teams improve visibility, manage bank fees more effectively, and make better decisions while maintaining strong banking relationships.

With extensive experience in treasury and corporate finance, Damaari Drumright shares how treasury teams can improve visibility across banking relationships and bank fees as businesses grow. He explains how budget pressure, limited fee transparency, and manual processes can make it difficult to control banking costs and identify issues early. Damaari also discusses the importance of governance, dashboards, and strong controls. He highlights how data, technology, and AI can help treasury teams improve visibility, manage bank fees more effectively, and make better decisions about banking services and financial partnerships.

-How treasury teams lose visibility into bank fees and banking relationships as businesses grow

-Why budgeting, governance, and strong controls are important for managing banking costs and improving treasury performance

-How hidden bank fees, payment methods, and account growth can increase costs over time

-The challenges of comparing bank fees, tracking pricing across multiple banks, and maintaining long term banking relationships

-How data, dashboards, technology, and AI can help treasury teams improve visibility, control costs, and make better banking decisions

[00:00] - Teaser

[00:54] - Introduction of podcast and guest Damaari Drumright

[04:07] - Budget Variance and Early Warning Signs

[06:25] - Bank Fee Transparency and FX Costs

[09:16] - Budget Planning and Banking Cost Management

[12:56] - Treasury Budgeting and Peer Practices

[16:53] - Strategic Banking Relationships and Fee Negotiation

[19:23] - Treasury Lessons and Payment Control Challenges

[24:00] - Building Better Controls and Treasury Governance

[27:54] - Technology, AI, and the Future of Treasury

[30:38] - Treasury Advice and Banking Best Practices

"Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review."

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/damaaridrumright/

-Ankura (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/company/ankura-consulting-group/

-Ankura (Website): https://ankura.com/

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanireland/

-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@openfees

-Visit the Website: https://www.open-fees.com/

-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-open-ledger/id1896878038

-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033sorpebHWsYCZCdoCkBq?si=60eddd8e59ba4320

In this episode of The Open Ledger Podcast, host Stephan Ireland speaks with Tamara A.S. Saront-Eisner, the VP and Treasurer for U.S. and Americas Zone and VP of Mergers & Acquisitions and Treasurer for the Americas Hub at Air Liquide, about banking relationships, treasury visibility, and bank fee management. Tamara shares how Air Liquide integrated banking operations after a major acquisition, balancing global banking partners with local banking needs while avoiding disruption for customers. She discusses the challenges of understanding bank fees, maintaining long term banking relationships, and improving transparency across treasury operations. Tamara also explains how technology, data, and AI can help treasury teams gain better visibility, manage costs, and make more informed decisions about banking services and financial partnerships.

With more than 10 years of treasury and corporate finance experience, Tamara A.S. Saront-Eisner shares how Air Liquide manages banking relationships across a global business. She explains how the company integrated banking operations after a major acquisition, balancing global banking partners with local banking needs while reducing complexity. Tamara also discusses the challenges of understanding bank fees, maintaining visibility across multiple banking relationships, and improving treasury performance. She highlights how data, technology, and AI can help treasury teams gain better insights, control costs, and make stronger decisions about banking services and financial partnerships.

-How Air Liquide integrated banking relationships after a major acquisition while balancing global and local banking needs

-Why maintaining long term banking partnerships and minimizing customer disruption are important during treasury transformation

-How treasury teams can improve visibility into bank fees and better understand the costs of banking services

-The challenges of managing multiple banking relationships, analyzing bank fees, and maintaining internal discipline around cost control

-How data, technology, and AI can help treasury teams improve transparency, control costs, and make better banking decisions

[00:00] - Teaser

[01:21] - Introduction of podcast and guest Tamara A.S. Saront-Eisner

[03:19] - Acquisition Integration and Banking Relationship Changes

[05:18] - Banking Consolidation and Customer Collection Challenges

[11:57] - Managing Global, Regional, and Local Banking Needs

[15:18] - Bank Fee Visibility and Treasury Cost Challenges

[18:31] - Why Bank Fee Analysis Matters for Performance

[19:55] - Internal Discipline and Bank Fee Management Process

[27:09] - Technology, AI, and the Future of Treasury Banking

[31:04] - Improving Treasury Visibility Through Data and AI

[33:57] - Market Benchmarking and Final Treasury Advice

[36:13] - Podcast Resources and Early Adopter Program

"Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review."

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamarasaronteisner/

-Air Liquide (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/company/airliquide/

-Air Liquide (Website): https://www.airliquide.com/

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanireland/

-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@openfees

-Visit the Website: https://www.open-fees.com/

-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-open-ledger/id1896878038

-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033sorpebHWsYCZCdoCkBq?si=60eddd8e59ba4320

In this episode of The Open Ledger Podcast, host Stephan Ireland speaks with Zac Nesper, CFA, Founder of Treasury Outcomes, Former SVP, Treasurer & CFO of Strategy & Incubation at HP, about building strong banking relationships and making better treasury decisions. Zac explains why bankers are neither friends nor enemies, but business partners who should be managed with transparency, accountability, and trust. He shares lessons from major corporate events, including hostile takeover defense, company separation, and capital markets transactions, while discussing banking scorecards, relationship management, and how AI may shape the future of treasury through faster decision making and stronger strategic insights.

With experience leading treasury at one of the world's largest companies, Zac Nesper, CFA shares how enterprise treasury teams can build stronger banking relationships and make better financial decisions. He explains why bankers should be viewed as business partners, not friends or enemies, and discusses the importance of transparency, accountability, and trust. Zac also shares lessons from major corporate events, explains how banking scorecards help evaluate relationships, and highlights how AI can help treasury teams respond faster, improve decision making, and provide greater strategic value.

-How to build stronger banking relationships through transparency, trust, and accountability

-Why bankers should be viewed as business partners instead of friends or enemies

-How treasury teams can use banking scorecards and performance reviews to manage banking relationships

-What major financing events and market challenges reveal about the quality of a banking partner

-How AI and strategic thinking can help treasury teams make faster decisions and deliver greater business value

[00:00] - Teaser

[01:41] - Introduction of podcast and guest Zac Nesper, CFA

[06:18] - Defining a Strong Strategic Banking Relationship

[09:57] - Banking Scorecards and Relationship Performance Reviews

[12:52] - Treasury Behaviors That Strengthen Banking Relationships

[14:33] - What Banks Reveal During Major Corporate Events

[21:58] - AI, Strategy, and the Future of Treasury Banking

[23:45] - Final Advice for Building Better Banking Relationships

[26:31] - Where to Connect with Zac Nesper, CFA

"Disclosure: Portions of this episode (such as the introduction or promotional segments) use AI-generated voice narration produced under human editorial review."

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-nesper-cfa-34006b1/

-Treasury Outcomes (Website): https://www.treasuryoutcomes.com/

-HP (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/company/hp/

-HP (Website): https://www.hp.com/us-en/home.html

-LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanireland/

-YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@openfees

-Visit the Website: https://www.open-fees.com/

-Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-open-ledger/id1896878038

-Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033sorpebHWsYCZCdoCkBq?si=60eddd8e59ba4320

In the world of finance, the most successful leaders aren’t just managing numbers - they’re shaping how organizations interact with banks. They’re the CFOs, treasurers, and finance leaders who make complex banking decisions clear and actionable.

Welcome to The Open Ledger, hosted by Stephan Ireland. With years of experience in treasury and banking, Stephan brings high-level executives together to share the conversations that rarely happen in boardrooms - covering bank fees, multi-bank relationships, cash visibility, and more.

Whether you’re a corporate CFO, treasury consultant, or finance professional looking to understand what you truly pay to banks, The Open Ledger gives you insider insights that cut through the complexity.

Subscribe now to The Open Ledger and get ready for an upcoming episode that brings clarity to the banking world. A new episode is coming soon!