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Corporate treasurer: Job description and activities

Job description

Corporate treasurers play a vital role in improving and maintaining the financial standing of a wide range of companies. By overseeing their company's financial and risk management activities, corporate treasurers attempt to ensure the most favourable market conditions for its activities.

This is a varied and responsible role with increasing opportunities, ranging from undertaking general financial management to making strategic decisions on funding and risk management.

Corporate treasury refers to treasury activities carried out in companies using financial products to support their main business. It does not cover treasury activities undertaken in financial institutions or in the public sector.

Typical work activities

A corporate treasurer's activities vary according to the employing company.

Responsibilities are generally divided between more administrative 'back office' work and higher profile, more managerial 'front office' roles.

Typical activities may involve:

• managing daily cash balances and money from the money market;
• ensuring that a company's cashflow is adequate to allow it to operate effectively;
• forecasting cash payments and anticipating potential challenges arising from limited cashflow;
• undertaking risk management activities to protect and progress a company's financial wellbeing;
• analysing the impact of international money markets on the performance of company products or services;
• making decisions on company finances, for example, the funding of company operations;
• overseeing and progressing specific projects, such as the periodic re-financing of a company;
• evaluating proposed projects and acquisitions to ensure that they are beneficial to the company;
• negotiating loan or overdraft terms with company bankers;
• creating solutions to new challenges by applying financial/treasury knowledge;
• communicating with company departments, such as tax and accountancy, on a range of issues;
• providing advice on, or suggesting solutions to, problems arising elsewhere in the company;
• taking responsibility for, and supervising the work of, more junior members of staff;
• liaising with company bankers and investors and maintaining positive, long-term working relationships;
• keeping up to date with financial and industry developments;
• attending board and senior management meetings;
• making presentations to the company board on specific financial issues;
• making decisions about insurance and other financial products in the event of an emergency.

AGCAS

Written by Lucy Burrows, London School of Economics and Political Science

Last updated:

June 2008

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