This episode features an interview with Niklas Bergentoft, Principal at Deloitte & Touche LLP. 

Niklas has been at Deloitte & Touche LLP for 15 years, and currently leads the company’s treasury practice in the US. His multifaceted role involves setting strategy and building capabilities for business growth, shaping the firm’s methodologies, relationship building, and client delivery.

On this episode, Niklas discusses how he helped his clients navigate the challenges of the pandemic and how 2020 emphasized a greater focus on controlling all aspects of liquidity. He also shares his thoughts on the expansion and evolution of the treasurer’s role, automation and digitization within the CFOs office, and he offers some poignant managerial advice.

Quotes

“There are a few things that I saw some of my clients do very efficiently and effectively [to navigate the pandemic]…A lot of the organizations that I was around had a much greater focus on controlling all aspects of liquidity. That was cash at hand, becoming way more dynamic in forecasting, and being able to support various business scenarios around forecasting the outlook for liquidity.”

“We’ve seen both CFOs’ and treasurers’ roles have evolved quite a bit over the past five years, but in this past year, we've seen the role of the treasurer evolve…And we're seeing treasurers get involved in broader areas of liquidity… and really becoming more of a change agent in finance, to control liquidity and drive value through treasury.”

“Quite a few of my clients…as part of one of their rotations on their way to round out their experiences before they become a CFO, is actually moving through the treasury function. And we're seeing that more and more. I think part of that is because treasury has been elevated again, and there's a lot of recognition that it requires a highly specialized skill set and a very important skill set in order to help sort of steward the finance function.”

“The role of the treasurer as a leader, I think, is to help get those technology elements in place, get the right skill set for tomorrow in place within the organization, and then really, reinvent what work means for treasury in the future.”

“If [an ERP-type system for liquidity] existed I think it would be extremely powerful…I think there is a lot of opportunity to really bring the liquidity ecosystem together…It’s not just being able to see the cash but being way more dynamic and integrated in how liquidity is being viewed going forward. How does FP&A or financial planning and treasury come together for one integrated view of liquidity that's needed. It's one integrated story around what's important.”

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