TreasuryCast

Treasurers are intensifying their efforts to achieve instant cash visibility and control. Virtual accounts, APIs, and real-time data offer the potential for faster decision-making and more streamlined operations, as long as integration, regulation, and cultural change are managed carefully.

As the EU prepares to mandate Verification of Payee across the SEPA region, its implications are already under scrutiny. For corporates, the road may be bumpy, but with stronger identifiers, clearer implementation rules, and deeper collaboration, the destination is still within reach.

Corporates are preparing for the EU's instant payments regulation, but the path to adopting Verification of Payee is proving complex. Treasury teams are exploring practical ways forward while calling for closer collaboration between banks, regulators and technology providers.

At Comcast, what began as an ambitious clean-up of legacy accounts has evolved into a multi-year transformation that continues to reshape how treasury operates and how it's perceived. The treasury team hasn't just streamlined systems. It has rebuilt trust, unlocked cash, and earned a seat at the strategic table.

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Incoming and outgoing payments are central to a corporate treasurer's responsibilities because they directly impact liquidity, risk management, and operational efficiency. Today, treasurers face a wave of changes, from instant payments and ISO 20022 to digital currencies and e-invoicing, each of which has implications beyond simple regulatory tick-box exercises.

Evonik's treasury team has embedded automation at the core of its operations, from near-total payment straight-through processing to real-time liquidity dashboards. With integration, visibility, and control as guiding principles, the team is redefining how digital tools support risk management, compliance, and strategic decision-making.

DEME's treasury has evolved from decentralised roots to a strategic, centralised function. This sees the team tackling everything from forecasting blind spots, embedding ESG in financing, and navigating the promise and pitfalls of AI.

Vodafone is turning cash flow into a companywide mission. From payments to network build-outs, teams weigh the cash impact of everyday choices so the business can fund growth from within.

Treasurers are going back to fundamentals, according to the Treasury Survey 2025 from the European Association of Corporate Treasurers. Cash flow forecasting has returned to the top of the agenda, and while digital transformation is a focus, the work begins with systems, data, and skills rather than quick fixes.

This year marks the tenth edition of Journeys to Treasury, representing a full decade of collaboration, reflection, and forward-looking insights. Since its launch in 2016, the project has charted treasury's evolution inaspects such as cash pooling and centralisation, as well as the latest trends in automation, ESG, and AI. Over the years, much has changed. But one constant remains: the need for treasurers to master the fundamentals while preparing for the frontiers that lie ahead.