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Change of Name to the ACTA

We are excited to announce that we have changed our name from the Finance and Treasury Association Limited (FTA), to the Australian Corporate Treasury Association Limited (ACTA).

Over the past 20 months as the Board has deliberated on its strategy, and it became clear that the future for the association is not to be a ‘broad church’ but to focus on treasury, at all levels and to those in that treasury ecosystem (eg tech and product providers, banks, legal specialists, consultants). This led to a change in our stated purpose ‘to be Australia’s Treasury Community’ and now, to a name change to the Australian Corporate Treasury Association which ties this all together, and to show who we are, and who we are here for – an Association for Treasury professionals, to drive the profession forward.

Our new logo is the one element that unifies and represents our brand and our vision.

The Australian Corporate Treasury Association has a longstanding place within the Treasury community in Australia; started in 1982 as The Currency Club, the club was formed following the Aussie dollar being floated in the early 80’s, and with financial deregulation, there was a need in those early years to bring a community together to help each other navigate the new world.

It grew quickly, and in 1985 the Australian Society of Corporate Treasurers was born. In 1988 it hosted its First Annual Congress and has run continuously now for 33 years straight.

In 1998, with the continued evolution of the Treasury role, the name was changed to the Finance and Treasury Association, the FTA. The Finance part of the name was introduced to reflect the broader Financial Risk Management role of treasurers and to try to broaden the appeal of the Association to the finance community.

In hindsight, the addition of Finance to the title has taken the focus away from the association’s core mandate, being a place of education, training, and networking for Treasury professionals and those in the Treasury eco-system. Treasury in itself is a profession and function found across Australian business, from the large ASX companies, down to small family-owned SME’s – regardless of what they call the function. Within those Treasury, functions sit roles of many names and descriptions, not just Treasurers, hence the reference to Treasury as all-encompassing.

The rename from the Finance and Treasury Association Limited (FTA) to the Australian Corporate Treasury Association Limited (ACTA) was officially endorsed at the annual general meeting in December 2020.

Through both the GFC of 2008 and the pandemic of 2020, Australia has been reminded of the importance and value of Treasury and treasury professionals in Corporate Australia.

Don’t forget to Like and follow us on social media (@actatreasury) and to keep an eye out for our newly branded social posts to ensure you stay up to date with the latest news from the Australian Corporate Treasury Association.

Over the coming months you will see the new branding used, and updates to our website, including the member portal, so make sure you keep an eye out on social media, and we encourage you to take a look at the member forum (by signing in via the member portal) to discuss front of mind topics with your peers.

We hope you like the new look.

Best wishes,

Australian Corporate Treasury Association

Webinar: ‘Hope’ is not a Risk Management Strategy – Lessons from the GFC and COVID

Extreme periods of market and economic volatility such as the recent pandemic and the 2008 GFC put enormous strains on treasury and finance teams and can cause knee-jerk decision making from company boards.

Rochford will share some real examples of how to effectively navigate these stormy waters as well as lessons from the companies that sunk, and the boards that panicked.

The session will be covering the following topics:  

  • FX risk management
    • Identify, Measure, Manage & Monitor
  • Derivative restructuring 
    • Accounting considerations  
  • Policy and process  
  • Building strategies that work in normal market conditions and black swan events  
  • Understanding the tail risk
  • Liquidity, in a crisis  

Presenters:

  • Thomas Averill – Managing Director 
  • Derek Mumford – Director, Head of Risk Advisory 
  • Kevin Mitchell – Partner, Head of Hedge Accounting

Webinar: Demystifying the Australian Repo Market – Opportunities for Corporate Treasurers

The Australian repo market is an important and growing part of the short term funding and liquidity markets and has been a key tool utilised during the Covid-19 crisis. Join our speakers from ASX and NSW TCorp for insights into the Australian repo market, how repo works, what tri-party repo is all about, and opportunities for corporate treasurers.      

Speakers:

Sasha Conoplia, Sales Manager, Settlement & Collateral, ASX

Hendrik van Senden, Liquidity Manager, Balance Sheet & Liquidity, NSW TCorp

Details:

Date: Wednesday, 14th October 2020

Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm 

Presentation:

Exchange September 2020

Hi Members,

Hope everyone is doing well in what no doubt has been a busy last couple of months in the FY changeover period.  Not to mention the extraordinary time we are in!

At FTA our focus is on continuing to deliver CPD and other services to you digitally during this lockdown/WFH time.  Our calendar is full as you will see from webinars and our other programs such as Treasury Management and Fundamentals.  Please keep looking out for these, continuing professional development is something that is never not needed.

The big thing right now though is the work on Conference.  Hopefully, you’re all seeing our updates, we’re extremely proud of, and excited by, the program that has now been developed.  When we have speakers of the caliber of Kevin Rudd, Stephen Koukoulos, and Matt Gertken, and case studies from businesses such as Coles and Oil Search, you know its going to be great. 

Please jump on board, we can’t wait to see everyone there –  the interaction and networking is also fantastic on our platform. 

www.ftaconference.com.au

Take care

Ben Leaver

Getting to know the Young Leaders Committee

It has been an honour to be the first female Chair of the Young Leaders Committee for the FTA. The opportunity to collaborate with and work alongside such a high caliber of young professionals in the Treasury industry has been both rewarding and fulfilling.

What I enjoy about being part of this Committee is the immense talent, diversity of skills, and strong work ethic each member shares, tantamount to their professional careers and development.

Our committee has worked successfully towards our FY20 objectives of educating our local students and empowering young professionals in our industry to aspire to succeed in their career – which is what makes me truly proud of being part of the FTA community.

Therefore, I would like to extend my special thanks to Kirsty, Toby, Andrew, and Piero for all your tremendous efforts and commitment over the past year. I have been thrilled to participate in and observe the development of this committee, as we aspire towards becoming future leaders in the Corporate Treasury and Finance space in Australia.

When I first began my journey in the FTA community, I was extremely lucky to be part of the mentorship program as a mentee. Notwithstanding my previous experiences of mentorship programs earlier in my career in Banking, I was able to really distinguish and relate to the philosophy of mentorship. The FTA matched me with an influential Corporate Treasurer as my mentor. I recall feeling immediately impressed not just by her successful career, but most importantly her passion in fulfilling her role as a devoted mother and having such a warm bubbly personality! I was inspired instantly and understood that was the same magnitude of energy and presence I would like to demonstrate as a future mentor.

Over the past year attending educational FTA seminars, networking events, webinars, and conferences it has been such a rewarding experience since I joined the Association. These opportunities in meeting incredible professionals in the corporate industry have created lasting impressions as I continue to support and advocate the Treasury Profession.

Despite the immediate global challenges this year, the Young Leaders Committee has committed to keeping us at the forefront of this dramatically evolving environment. With a variety of concerning the industry, risks have never been so prevalent that the reliance on sound Finance and Treasury professionals has never been so demanding.

Our aim is to continue to empower young professionals, aspiring students as well as the rest of our Treasury community to continue to strive for excellence in their current and future careers, as well as their corporate service – We, will continue to promote our committee in FY21 through the communication of our innovative ideas, collaboration with our extensive FTA network, and ultimately demonstration of our financial stewardship through our industry experience.

I look forward to seeing the YLC continue to develop and contribute exciting outcomes to the FTA community in the coming Financial Year.

Mary-Jane Carcasona

Have you seen and explored the new Member Portal? Behind the scenes, we have been working hard to bring you a more streamlined and Member friendly portal. Included in the recent upgrades has been the inclusion of a Member Forum for the Australian Treasury Community.

Ask questions, or create a new discussion thread. The Member Forum is the place to engage with the Australian Treasury Community. 

How to Subscribe – 

You can choose to receive an update each time a comment is made in all Forum Threads by clicking ‘Subscribe for new topics’ found on the Forum Home Page, under Finance & Treasury Associaiton (as above); alternatively you can select which Threads you only wish to receive updates from by clicking on your chosen Thread (eg General Treasury) and clicking on ‘Subscribe for new topics’.

If you would like to create a new Topic, you can do this by selecting ‘Add topic’ in the top right corner of your chosen Thread.

We encourage you to sign in and join the conversation here.

Webinar: Bank Treasury – 23rd September

University of Western Australia Event – 24th September

Webinar: Supply Chain Finance: An Australian Perspective – 30th September 

Treasury Management Course – 15th, 22nd, & 29th October

Fundamentals of Treasury Course – 27th October

National FTA Conference – 10th, 11th, & 13th November 

In November the inaugural virtual FTA Conference 2020 is taking place.  I have been involved in a number of FTA conferences over the years and it has been inspiring to work on this initiative, helping the FTA executives and the conference committee pull together an event creating an opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of attending a conference as we have shared in the past, this time virtually. I am excited we will have the benefit of a virtual conference which will not be a series of webinars, but an opportunity to hear presentations, interact with panels (many of who will be on a live stage), have one on one sessions with our exhibitors, and our peers.

Even though we have been put in a position to run the conference in this way, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the outcome is an opportunity to have an event where we can reach an even greater audience than has been possible in the past.  Yes, the networking will be different, but it will be there, it will be an opportunity to share the stories and experiences that enrich our attendance.  The conference committee has pulled together a technical program that is packed full of content and insights from your treasury peers (over 20 corporate treasurers supported 22 experienced treasury professionals) by sharing their experiences while developing a view on what the future of treasury may look like.  This is complemented by our inspirational/experienced speakers focusing on economics, global relations, the outcome of the US elections and our future.  Finally, I must, in advance, thank our sponsors and exhibitors, they are making a contribution to the content, offering virtual experiences, and providing support in a number of other ways.

Book your place today – www.ftaconference.com.au

Regards,

Paul Travers

Do you have an upcoming role you need to advertise? We’re pleased to offer companies the chance to promote their new listings on the FTA jobs board. Find out more by contacting us at membership@financetreasury.com.au

We have recently changed our mailing address and contact phone number. Please ensure you have also updated your records to ensure your communications to the Association are received in a timely manner. 

Our new mailing address: 

PO Box 21003

Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne VIC 8011
Australia

Our new phone number:

+61 (03) 9132 5240

Essential Treasurer Series 2020

Essential Treasurer Series 2020

The Finance and Treasury Association together with EY, will again present the Essential Treasurer Series for 2020.

The Essential Treasurer Series is the FTA’s annual session to update its members and other interested parties in what is important and topical right now. 

The Essential Treasurer Series will take place in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne and with speakers from Greensill, Bloomberg, and EY discussing:

  • Key market information
  • Technology – automation, TMS implementation, NPP/Payments
  • Benchmark rates – practical to do’s, regulation, options
  • Preparing for a zero interest rate environment
  • Innovative alternative funding solutions

Register now to ensure your place – networking drinks will follow the program.

Dates and Locations:

The Series will be hosted at EY in each respective city.

Sydney – Tuesday 3rd March 2020

Brisbane – Tuesday 10th March 2020

Perth – Thursday 12th March 2020

Melbourne – Monday 16th March 2020

Time:

Essential Treasurer Series: 2:00pm – 6:00pm (local time)

Networking Drinks: 6:00pm – 7:30pm (local time)

Cost:

FTA Members have access for free to the Essential Treasurer Series.

Non-Members can access the Series for a fee of $50 (inc GST).

Full-Time Students interested in Treasury can access the Series for a fee of $20 (inc GST)

Essential Treasurer Series 2019 – Speaker presentations

Essential Treasurer Series 2019 – Speaker presentations

Thank you to our sponsor

The FTA, together with EY held the Essential Treasurer Series in March 2019 visiting members in Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.

With regulatory and economic disruptions affecting organisations, treasury teams are required to be responsive and resilient. The sessions were focussed on uncertainty in financial markets and an update on key industry news affecting the Treasury profession.

Download copies of the speaker presentations

Session 1: Commonwealth Bank – Economic Update

Sydney presentation by Stephen Halmarick

Melbourne presentation by Kristina Clifton

Perth presentation by Gareth Aird

Brisbane presentation by Belinda Allen

Session 2: Treasury of the Future

Presentation by Ian Walford – Perth

Presentation by Chris Nelson – Brisbane

Session 3: IBOR by EY and Bloomberg

Presentation by Nick Burrough, Bloomberg

Presentation by EY

Session 4: Leasing Update

Presentation by EY