Michael Page Treasury recently hosted an evening with three inspirational Group Treasurers to offer an insight into what it takes to make the journey to Group Treasurer through three very different lenses. We were honored to be joined by
James Kelly
Group Treasurer of Pearson Group,
Ian Chisholm
Group Treasurer of Grosvenor, and
Steph Morris, CFA FCT
Group Treasurer of Acteon.?
Seen as the pinnacle of someone’s treasury career, we explored what it takes to reach the top and what their advice might be for someone looking to follow the same path. Despite all three panelists insisting that there was a large element of luck in their journeys, hard work and dedication also played a huge part in their respective success. ?
As we heard from them throughout the course of the evening, several reoccurring themes emerged, and we were lucky enough to get their advice on how to navigate your treasury career.??
- Risk taking. We heard from the experts that those coming up in their career shouldn’t be afraid of taking a risk. Playing it safe with your career may seem tempting but our speakers argued that sometimes you have to show a bit of faith and take a gamble on a role or company.??“I made a slightly educated bet on Seadrill because they were still holding large balances of cash despite their large debt book and chapter 11 process” explains Stephanie Morris as to why she was initially interested in and ultimately stayed at in her role.??
- Equally, Ian Chisholm explained that he ‘fell’ into treasury as just another rotation on the finance graduate scheme but enjoyed it so much as a broadening of his finance skills, he specialised in the treasury function. Later on, he was offered the chance to manage the UK pension fund, and whilst initially needing persuasion to take it, the role was one of the most interesting and developmental of his career.
- Embrace the soft skills. It’s often tempting to talk about the technical skills needed within the role of Treasurer, but all three agreed that softer skills are just as important. “Stop being a manager and start being a leader” Ian Chisholm advised when looking for a larger opportunity; you will need to be able to pull together not just a treasury team, but also the adjoining support functions and often a CFO as well into alignment. James Kelly agreed “No one ever gives you a bigger job in easy circumstances” and so looking for ways to find common ground and understand different agendas and priorities smoothly and being able to work in synergy.??
- Hard work. Each of our speakers explained the importance of working hard and being happy to get involved in the wider challenges their businesses were facing. “I hate poor processes, I like everything to be super smooth” describes James Kelly of his love of automation and efficiency. Ultimately, he is able to see that by harnessing his passion in the area and getting involved in work flows across the group, he is helping the business navigate constantly evolving markets and disruptive markets. “Make professional curiosity your number one skill” advises Ian; being able to get involved with projects that cross treasury boundaries is hugely helpful in making yourself indispensable and getting a wider understanding of the business you work for.??
As treasury continues to evolve, and the economy faces new challenges, it’s clear we need aspiring treasurers more than ever to be able to problem solve and shepherd business interests safely through to the next generation. If you’re interested in developing your career in treasury then do consider exploring the professional qualification that the ACT offers (found here: https://www.treasurers.org/learning) and do reach out to the Michael Page Treasury team for a confidential career discussion at [email protected]? or visit our website https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/job-search.??
