I have been a member of the ACT almost since inception having joined in 1980. It is remarkable to see the strides taken by treasury since that time. In those days, the treasury function was regarded very much as the back-office accountants who dealt with investing large sums or making borrowing arrangements. In the eighties I always thought that there was a certain mystery behind the really big “treasury” departments! In practice, big or small, these departments, and the people who ran them, had a significant role to play. In my opinion there are three key areas and I have

As the ACT Middle East network grows, so does the number of professionals in the region looking to expand their skill set and ensure they meet global benchmark treasury standards. ACT qualifications are rooted in the ACT Competency Framework. The framework defines the competencies treasurers need to operate successfully in global business today. Whether you are looking to take your first steps into treasury, are heading up a global treasury department, providing banking, financial or consultancy services or need to recruit or train a treasury team, the competency framework offers you guidance on what the global standards are for successful

What makes you more productive and are there any golden rules to ensuring you maximise your time? Everyone wants to be better at managing their time. There are occasions when things feel out of control or un-manageable, but some simple techniques can help you to feel more in control. Time management is a skill. And because it is a skill it can be developed and improved. By practising good time management, you can ingrain this as a new behaviour and make a permanent change. The holiday phenomenon. People are more productive in the run up to their holiday. The day

Are you someone who has worked in treasury for a number of years, but have not had the chance or opportunity to study for ACT qualifications? If so, and you wish to gain one of our top-level qualifications with the highly desirable membership letters, AMCT or FCT, we may have a route in for you called the Direct Entry route. The ACT direct entry route to qualifying and becoming either an AMCT member or FCT member recognises experience. It offers an opportunity for senior practitioners to demonstrate their experience in order to gain exemption from either the Certificate in Treasury

Until the global financial crisis in 2008, corporate treasurers were often considered solely the custodians of cash. In many cases – particularly in the ‘third sector’ – that’s the role ascribed to ‘the treasurer’ today. Of course, that wasn’t ever true in many leading businesses in the UK and internationally, but it’s taken time to address the stereotype. Indeed, in many developing markets the role remains less understood and practised. Most surveys of corporate treasury tend to focus on functional activities and product use but as a Chartered professional body, the ACT has bucked this trend with our annual research

The Non Executive Director (NED) role is typically defined by the key pillars of: governance + strategy + finance + risk. Finance and risk should be a NED’s specialist subjects and one that they are comfortable in providing insight and direction. In reality this is not always the case and some boards of directors may be organised on the basis of individual NEDs having ‘responsibility’ for certain areas of corporate activity, rather than being an expert in all of the key areas. NEDs in action The day to day role of the NED is both challenging and critical, but only

Over the last few years, despite working with our suppliers to improve the service delivery and stability of the systems, we have not been able to get to the point where our students can take their exams stress-free and perform to the best of their ability. We have listened to all the feedback received from our students and at the start of 2018 we undertook a tender process to look at other eAssessment and remote invigilation systems, while also taking this opportunity to review whether remote invigilation is the right choice for us. This work was extremely positive and informative,

A mentor/mentee relationship can be invaluable in providing an opportunity for you to consider and analyse the options available, get new information and identify any support that may be needed. There are some proven techniques to help both the mentor and mentee develop effective mentoring conversations. 1. Active Listening Mentors need good listening skills, but this can be easier said than done. The brain capacity to process information is four times the speed we can speak. This means the mind can easily wander off due to this spare brain capacity. Our ears never close, they are constantly taking in and