A message to the Australian Treasury Community

A MESSAGE TO THE AUSTRALIAN TREASURY COMMUNITY

FY20 is about to come to a close, and I’m sure you would all agree this has been one of the most challenging years the world has had to face in a very long time.  However, for the FTA and the treasury community, the challenges have been tackled head-on, and we have emerged stronger and more confident in the importance and relevance of our profession.

Thank you

Firstly, a huge thank you to the staff, board, and committee members who have helped the FTA navigate these troubled times.  Without their support, the FTA would not be in the strong position that it is.  We have had a huge increase in the online delivery of events, with weekly webinars, and the Treasury Management Course being delivered virtually since the crisis hit.  We were on the front page of the AFR, highlighting the very important issues facing Corporate Australia, and hosted top-level talks with senior treasurers across Australia.

The FTA is stronger than ever

I am pleased to report the FTA is about to close yet another profitable year, and has a strong cash and capital position to see us through this crisis and emerge on the other side stronger than ever. A huge thank you to our members and sponsors for their continued support. This will allow the FTA to further invest in the treasury profession and execute on its strategy over the next few years.

Treasury is more important than ever

The global pandemic has reminded the government and business community of the importance of treasury professionals.  As they say, you should never waste a good crisis, and no doubt the next few years will see governments and corporations reflecting on lessons learned.  Treasurers should be asking for more resources to invest in people, policies, processes, and systems in order to strengthen the treasury function and prepare businesses for the roadmap out of the crisis.  To further support this, the FTA is executing its strategic objective to create a formal qualification for certified treasury professionals – watch this space as we plan to launch this exciting initiative later this calendar year.

Virtual FTA Conference 2020.

Back in March this year, as the FTA board met to discuss strategy, the first critical decision we made was to make FTA Conference 2020 an online only event.  The conference committee has pulled together a fantastic program and the technology platform promises to deliver everything an in-person conference would offer, and more!  Networking will be much more targeted as you can connect with other attendees virtually over the 3 days.  If you haven’t checked out the event details, here is a link on how to register.

Renew your membership!

To those members who continue to support the FTA – thank you!  For those who have yet to commit, we invite you to renew and continue to support the treasury community – you have 1 more day to claim that tax deduction!

Happy EOFY to all, and wishing you all the best for FY21.

 

Regards

Steven Cunico, FFTP

President