Treasury and finance professionals are in a unique position to influence the strategic direction of their organizations. As such, they need certain skills that allow them to influence key decision makers. AFP 2020 host and spotlight speaker Mark Jeffries joins this episode of AFP Conversations to discuss the art of influencing. An author, communications expert and former Merrill Lynch stockbroker, Jeffries has become a trusted advisor and communications consultant to some of the world's largest ...
Aug 12, 2020•27 min•Ep. 209
The external market influences and risks that organizations must account for in their planning cycles have never been more chaotic. In this episode of AFP Conversations , AFP 2020 Certification Keynote Mona Sutphen discusses how financial sanctions and investment restrictions are a critical tool in U.S. policy. Sutphen served as the White House Deputy Chief of Staff under President Barack Obama, and has also been a Managing Director for UBS AG. She has more than 20 years of experience advising F...
Aug 05, 2020•26 min•Ep. 208
For treasury and finance professionals, peak performance is no longer optional—it’s foundational. Studies of high performing organizations show that the secret to peak performance is “flow” – an optimal state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best. In this special edition of AFP Conversations, AFP President and CEO Jim Kaitz discusses flow and peak performance with Steven Kotler, Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an aw...
Jul 28, 2020•32 min•Ep. 207
Corporate treasury and finance professionals require a quick access to accurate data and the ability to draw insightful analysis to propel their organizations forward. As we navigate this current crisis, forecasting the future has only become more complex and uncertain. So how can we take what seems to be disparate information and reveal the deeper underlying connections? In this special episode of AFP Conversations, AFP President and CEO Jim Kaitz speaks with Amy Webb, CEO and founder of The Fu...
Jul 13, 2020•41 min•Ep. 206
The 2020 AFP Liquidity Survey was conducted in March 2020, just before the true impact of the coronavirus pandemic was felt in the United States. But even though respondents were surveyed before businesses began closing down, the results revealed cautious attitudes among treasury and finance professionals. In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Invesco, we discuss the survey results with Laurie Brignac, CIO of the Invesco Global Liquidity Fixed Income Group, and Justo Gonzalez, Inves...
Jul 07, 2020•23 min•Ep. 205
Is artificial intelligence the next must-have tool in FP&A’s planning toolkit? AI has the potential to enhance FP&A in four key areas: data cleansing, forecasting and prediction, categorization and scoring, and driver-based planning. That’s because unlike other programs, AI is able to gather information. And the more it does, the more it can think for itself, allowing for endless possibilities in the finance realm. In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, Dr. Liran E...
May 26, 2020•22 min•Ep. 204
Cash forecasting is a difficult task that every treasury department must deal with. Can artificial intelligence help? It has the potential to improve processes, save costs and enhance treasury’s decision-making for liquidity, working capital and currency exposure management. In the latest episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, we look at how AI and Big Data are leading the path to powerful decision-support and automation of treasury. Discussing this complex topic are Nicolas Chris...
May 18, 2020•23 min•Ep. 203
In this special edition of the AFP Conversations Podcast, Jim Kaitz, President and CEO of AFP, speaks with skateboarding legend Tony Hawk. Widely considered to be the greatest in his sport, Hawk started his own foundation, created a video game that inspired a generation, and is the most recognized action sport figure in the world. He'll be appearing at AFP 2021 as the Sunday Keynote speaker , where he'll discuss the importance of maintaining authenticity in your career and in life. In this inter...
May 05, 2020•23 min•Ep. 202
In this special edition of AFP Conversations, members of the AFP 2020 Planning Task Force preview the agenda for the upcoming conference, which will take place in Las Vegas, from October 18-21. First, Tracy Butler, CTP, CFO of Sound Transit, provides a preview of the FP&A track. Next, Ray Beasley, CTP, Senior Manager of Treasury for Best Buy, previews the Payments track. After that, Jenifer Herdin, CTP, Vice President of Corporate Treasury for PVH Corp. previews the Treasury Management Track...
Apr 21, 2020•28 min
Upgrading technology to optimize processes, controls and reporting has become essential for treasury. What was once seen as optional has gradually become a requirement. Treasury management system (TMS) selection in particular can be a long and difficult process, but the end result typically makes it all worthwhile. In the latest episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, Kjell Aansloekken, Director of International Treasury for MTD Products Inc., Kevin Huxoll, Manager of Global Treasu...
Apr 14, 2020•19 min•Ep. 200
Nacha has created new infrastructure and tools to improve key AP/AR processes and lower fraud risk. The association is looking to enhance the corporate experience in procure-to-pay and order-to-cash. In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, we look at how Afinis’ standardized APIs and validated data can transform payment processes, with George Throckmorton Managing Director of Nacha. George Welcome to the podcast.
Mar 30, 2020•19 min•Ep. 199
In this special edition of the AFP Conversations podcast, Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP, discusses risk with General Chuck Jacoby, co-author of "Agility: How to Navigate the Unknown and Seize the Opportunity in a World of Disruption." General Jacoby brings over 36 years of experience leading military, government and international organizations. Prior to retiring, he served as the first Army officer to command North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the United States Northern C...
Mar 23, 2020•33 min•Ep. 198
In this special edition of the AFP Conversations podcast, Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP, discusses risk with Leo Tilman, co-author of "Agility: How to Navigate the Unknown and Seize the Opportunity in a World of Disruption." A leading expert on strategy, risk, finance and a long-time advisor to major companies, institutional investors, and governments, Tilman helped shape the modern concept of risk intelligence and, in collaboration with the U.S. government, created innovative models for p...
Mar 16, 2020•36 min•Ep. 197
Everyone is talking about faster and real-time payments. But for corporate treasury departments in the United States, it hasn’t really caught on yet except for some, very specific use cases. Corporate treasury professionals typically aren’t the ones to jump at investing in some flashy new technology. On the other hand, there is a question of whether the U.S. is going to catch up to other nations. In this episode of AFP Conversations, we discuss real-time, what it has to offer, and what its limit...
Mar 10, 2020•30 min
Successful politicians have mastered the art of crafting and communicating a desired perception of themselves. Following their model, financial professionals can also carefully craft how they want to be perceived by their peers, their superiors and their employees. In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, Chad Parsons, Senior Vice President and Corporate Treasury and Deposit Services Leader for Renasant Bank, explains how financial professionals can cultivate the perception ...
Mar 02, 2020•20 min•Ep. 195
In a repurchase agreement, or repo, one party sells an asset to another party and agrees to repurchase the asset at the same price, plus a premium in the future. The first party gets a much-needed funding and the second party gets to make a little extra money. The repo market is vital to the entire financial system. So when the repo markets fall into trouble, the impact can be massive. That was the fear in September 2019, when quite a bit of cash was pulled out of repos while securities were sti...
Feb 24, 2020•30 min•Ep. 194
In this episode of AFP Conversations, Tom Hunt, CTP, AFP's Director of Treasury Services, speaks with Drew Wolff, CFO of International and Channel Development and former Treasurer of Starbucks, about his career. Wolff, a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, explains how Elbert Hubbard's famous essay, "A Message to Garcia," Matters relates to the treasury and finance profession. Financial professionals, what is the next step in your career? Find out with the AFP Career Pathing Tool , excl...
Feb 18, 2020•24 min•Ep. 193
There’s often a tendency in FP&A to focus too much on the budgeting, forecasting and planning process, without taking a good hard look at how the overall organizational strategy, people and technology play into the equation. At AFP 2019, a panel discussion looked at how to improve upon that. In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, Sarah Moriarty, Associate Director of Financial Management for Harvard University, and Kirby Lunger, former partner with Performance Architec...
Feb 12, 2020•26 min•Ep. 192
As waves of new technology are being integrated into finance, the FP&A function has a chance to seize the moment and move from a cost center to a service center. But simply adopting new tools is not enough; successfully navigating change requires developing a new mindset that creates value by clearly communicating the meaning of business data. At FinNext 2020 , finance and leadership expert Amy Vetter , CEO of The B3 Method Institute and Drishtiq Yoga, will show FP&A professionals how th...
Jan 29, 2020•24 min•Ep. 191
This episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by MUFG, looks at liquidity management, and where it needs to go. What are some of the key considerations for managing current liquidity structures? Olu Adebiyi, Managing Director, Head of Transaction Banking Liquidity for MUFG; Glisson Inguito, Cash Management Manager and Head of Treasury/Cash Management for Konica Minolta; and Amanda Schreiber, Head of Treasury for ICU Medical; answer that question and more.
Jan 21, 2020•22 min•Ep. 190
Organizations that rely on Libor as a benchmark rate need to prepare for its potential end in 2022. But while Federal Reserve and the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC) have been working diligently to help companies make the transition, many are still not prepared. There are a number of steps that treasurers need to take—and they need to start making them now. In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, Amol Dhargalkar, Managing Director for Chatham Financial, and Jen...
Jan 15, 2020•26 min•Ep. 189
FinNext 2020 is where you can discover the future of finance. This event, which takes place March 15-17, 2020 in New Orleans, provides attendees with the opportunity to learn from experts in the FP&A community, while connecting with professional peers. In this episode of AFP Conversations, we discuss all that FinNext has to offer with Bryan Lapidus, AFP’s Director of the FP&A Practice. Lapidus has been instrumental in putting together this year’s agenda. Register for FinNext here ....
Dec 31, 2019•16 min•Ep. 188
Finance executives know all too well the importance of having good timing. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of hard evidence out there about so-called “perfect” timing itself. We make a lot of “when” decisions in our professional lives based largely around guesswork. But there is a better way. In this episode of AFP Conversations, Jim Kaitz, President and CEO of AFP, discusses good timing with New York Times Bestselling Author Daniel Pink. Pink's books on work, business and behavior have won mul...
Dec 17, 2019•25 min•Ep. 187
AFP 2020 in Las Vegas will be here before you know it. It's the most important event in treasury and finance, and that’s why the call for session proposals is already open. In this episode of AFP Conversations, we speak with Aurora Gregory, Marketing Communications Strategist and Author of “Get Picked: Tips, Tricks and Tools for Creating Irresistible Speaker Proposals." She has worked with some of the largest companies in the world to help them get their stories up to speed, and in this intervie...
Dec 10, 2019•25 min•Ep. 186
Real-time payments (RTP) have had a bit of trouble catching on in the U.S., but they may finally be turning the corner, with The Clearing House’s Real Time Payments Network, as well as the Federal Reserve’s upcoming service, FedNow. Treasury professionals on the whole tend to take their time when it comes to adopting new technology. Nevertheless, the prospect of paying and settling B2B payments in real-time is enticing, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before it breaks through in the...
Dec 03, 2019•25 min•Ep. 185
In the latest episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, we turn our attention to U.S./China business relations. Though China is the fastest growing market in the world and it has gradually opened its doors in recent years, the U.S./China trade dispute has threatened the ongoing relationship between both nations. So the question is, what comes next? To discuss where businesses on both sides go next are Frank Sansone, Treasurer and Senior Vice President for China Construction Bank, and...
Nov 21, 2019•19 min•Ep. 184
Libor is expected to be phased out by the end of 2021. Alternatives to Libor rates are emerging across the globe and mechanisms for establishing contractual fallbacks and adjustments to Libor-indexed financial instruments are being developed to minimize disruption, if in fact it does end in 2022. If Libor does end, however, the impacts on treasury will be significant. In this episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Santander, we’ll talk about what some of the implications could be for treasur...
Nov 12, 2019•15 min•Ep. 183
Data, cyber and identity controls are top priorities for corporate treasury and finance professionals. What do practitioners need to consider when working with their team, their banks and their technology partners when attempting to protect themselves? At AFP 2019, Stacy Rosenthal, Senior Vice President and Head of Payments Product for Santander and Bob Stark, Vice President of Strategy for Kyriba, joined the AFP Conversations podcast to discuss practical approaches to strengthening cybersecurit...
Nov 06, 2019•30 min•Ep. 182
This episode of AFP Conversations, sponsored by Standard Chartered, looks at digitization in Asia, and how it’s changing the way that corporate treasury and finance professionals handle their day-to-day operations and interact with their customers. Treasurers who embrace the latest technology like instant (or real-time) payments have a better chance at becoming value-added advisers to their business. Alan Lin, Global Head of Cash, Transaction Banking for Standard Chartered, looks at how payments...
Oct 08, 2019•16 min•Ep. 181
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more sophisticated, it is increasingly taking on roles that are traditionally done by humans. From forecasting and liquidity management to payments processing, consumers and practitioners alike need to be able to trust these AI systems. In this episode of AFP Conversations, AFP 2019 MindShift Keynote Dr. Rana el Kaliouby , co-founder and CEO of Affectiva, discusses Emotion AI, which combines facial expression and tone of voice to infer how a person is feel...
Sep 26, 2019•15 min•Ep. 180
