From building a treasury team from scratch with just a laptop to managing billions in assets and navigating four major corporate deals. This week on the podcast treasury leader Mike Tackley reveals what it really takes to scale treasury functions that drive business growth, earn stakeholder trust, and withstand economic turbulence.

Mike Tackley, an experienced finance leader and most recently the Group Treasurer at Harbour Energy, shares the unconventional path that led him from night school and brown paper bags full of receipts to leading treasury strategy at one of the UK’s largest independent oil and gas companies.

With decades of experience including a key role at BG Group before its $70B acquisition by Shell, Mike offers an insider’s perspective on treasury leadership during times of rapid scale and transformation.

Main topics discussed:

• Mike’s unconventional entry into finance and treasury
• His pivotal career move from auditing to BG Group, and why internal controls were his gateway into treasury
• How Sarbanes-Oxley changed corporate treasury structures and compliance
• Setting up middle, back, and front office treasury functions from the ground up
• Lessons learned managing credit risk during the 2008 financial crisis
• Building Harbour Energy’s treasury team post-BG and launching operations with no legacy systems
• The strategic use of Reserve Based Lending (RBL) to finance acquisitions
• Treasury’s evolving role in M&A deals, cash flow forecasting, and regulatory reporting
• Integrating treasury with the broader business through stakeholder education
• Tips for growing and hiring a high-performance treasury team

You can connect with Mike Tackley on LinkedIn.

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• 🍏Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/treasury-career-corner/id1436647162
• 🎧Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/641KUrhdoQPynLc1q2Guqn

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What does it take to rise through the ranks in treasury - from debt collection to leading the treasury function of a global engineering group?

In this episode, we dive into the real, unfiltered treasury career journey of Emma Hayward, Group Treasurer of Dowlais Group plc, covering everything from early uncertainty to leading high-stakes corporate transformations.

This week on the Treasury Career Corner, host Mike Richards sits down with Emma Hayward, Group Treasurer of Dowlais Group plc, a global engineering firm operating in the automotive sector.

Emma shares her unconventional journey into treasury, lessons from working at industry giants like Merck and Tesco, and what it's really like to build a treasury team from scratch during a corporate demerger.

Main topics discussed:

• Emma’s early steps in finance, banking, and her unexpected move into treasury
• Working in global treasury operations at a pharmaceutical company
• Life inside Tesco’s treasury team pre and post-financial crisis
• How Emma helped transform treasury’s role to be more strategic and integrated with commercial functions
• Executing Tesco’s first commodity trade and managing FX risk for thousands of products
• Leading during financial uncertainty and a corporate credit downgrade
• Setting up a treasury function from scratch during a spin-off
• The massive task of launching Dowlais Group’s treasury operations post-demerger
• Emma’s leadership principles and how she manages pressure and workload
• Advice on career growth, finding the right fit, and making strategic career decisions

You can connect with Emma Hayward on LinkedIn.

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🎙️ Subscribe to the Treasury Career Corner podcast - Never miss an episode! Hit subscribe on your favourite platform:

• 🍏Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/treasury-career-corner/id1436647162
• 🎧Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/641KUrhdoQPynLc1q2Guqn

🎓 Save $150 on CTP, FPAC & AFP Boston 2025 - Exclusive discounts for treasury professionals – thanks to our trusted partners.

🧠 Leadership Under Pressure - Practical tools and coaching that actually work – from the team at Gazing Leadership.

🤝 Support for Your Treasury Career - From education to events, tech to training – meet the partners helping treasury professionals like you grow and succeed.

👉 Explore your support network here - https://treasuryrecruitment.com/partners/

Is the treasury function still confined to risk management and cash preservation? Not anymore.

In this weeks’ episode with returning guest Joseph Neu, Founder and CEO of NeuGroup, we discover how the role of corporate treasury is undergoing a radical transformation. Treasury is stepping out of the back office and into a strategic spotlight - enabling profit, shaping business decisions, and influencing the future of finance. Learn what it really takes to evolve from technical operator to strategic business partner in a world driven by automation, AI, and cross-functional collaboration.

This week, we welcome back a trailblazer in the treasury world – Joseph Neu, Founder and CEO of NeuGroup. With over three decades of experience creating and facilitating peer groups for the world’s top finance professionals, Joseph offers a rare, research-driven lens on how the treasury function has shifted and where it's headed next.

In this episode, Joseph shares lessons learned from 30+ years of sitting at the table with treasury leaders across industries. From the early days of derivative disasters and newsletters to today’s AI-enabled finance transformation, Joseph reveals how treasury has quietly become one of the most impactful functions within modern corporations.

Listeners will gain behind-the-scenes insights into how peer learning empowers finance leaders, why treasury must move beyond technical silos, and what skills the next generation of treasurers must develop to thrive in an evolving landscape.

Main topics discussed:

• Joseph’s journey from researcher to leader of influential peer groups in the treasury space
• How the NeuGroup model fosters high-value, curated peer learning for finance leaders
• The biggest shifts in treasury over the past 30 years - from derivative disasters to AI integration
• Why treasury is moving from a support function to a strategic business partner
• How AI and automation are reshaping the scope of treasury roles
• Common pitfalls in treasury tech implementations and how to avoid them
• How to measure the success and value of treasury teams in a non-profit-generating function
• Advice for current and future treasury leaders at every level
• Why peer networking is non-negotiable for treasury professionals

You can connect with Joseph Neu on LinkedIn

❓Quick Quiz Link to CTP quiz for Joseph’s Episode❓

https://treasuryrecruitment.com/?post_type=ays-quiz-maker&p=7502

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🎙️ Subscribe to the Treasury Career Corner podcast - Never miss an episode! Hit subscribe on your favourite platform:

• 🍏Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/treasury-career-corner/id1436647162
• 🎧Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/641KUrhdoQPynLc1q2Guqn

🎓 Save $150 on CTP, FPAC & AFP Boston 2025 - Exclusive discounts for treasury professionals – thanks to our trusted partners.

🧠 Leadership Under Pressure - Practical tools and coaching that actually work – from the team at Gazing Leadership.

🤝 Support for Your Treasury Career -...

What do you get when a classically trained percussionist trades the concert hall for the corporate boardroom?

In this episode, we uncover the extraordinary journey of Evan Bertrand from performing orchestral music to leading treasury and investor relations at major corporations during times of crisis, growth, and transformation.

This is an inspiring story of reinvention, resilience, and the real-world impact of finance at the highest level.

Evan Bertrand is the Director of Investor Relations at Forward Air Corporation, a leading international logistics and trucking company. With a career spanning ExxonMobil, Solera, and Six Flags, Evan has carved out a unique path from classical music to high-stakes corporate finance, specializing in treasury operations, cash management, and capital markets.

His cross-industry experience and dual expertise in treasury and investor relations offer valuable insights for finance professionals navigating change and complexity.

Main topics discussed:

• How Evan transitioned from a professional music career to finance and ultimately to treasury and investor relations.
• His early roles at ExxonMobil and the importance of rotational programs and mentorship.
• Managing a $20B commercial paper program during an oil price collapse.
• Challenges and strategies while constructing a global treasury function from scratch post-LBO at Solera.
• Navigating Six Flags through the pandemic and implementing ERP-banking integration.
• What it takes to manage investor expectations and build relationships on Wall Street.
• The benefits of combining treasury and investor relations into one strategic role.
• Trends shaping treasury today, including the rise of automation and fraud prevention.
• Key decisions and mindset shifts that shaped Evan’s career trajectory.

You can connect with Evan Bertrand on LinkedIn.

❓Quick Link to CTP quiz for Evan’s Episode❓

https://treasuryrecruitment.com/?post_type=ays-quiz-maker&p=7460

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🎙️ Subscribe to the Treasury Career Corner podcast - Never miss an episode! Hit subscribe on your favourite platform:

🍏Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/treasury-career-corner/id1436647162

🎧Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/641KUrhdoQPynLc1q2Guqn

🎓 Save $150 on CTP, FPAC & AFP Boston 2025 - Exclusive discounts for treasury professionals – thanks to our trusted partners.

🧠 Leadership Under Pressure - Practical tools and coaching that actually work – from the team at Gazing Leadership.

🤝 Support for Your Treasury Career - From education to events, tech to training – meet the partners helping treasury professionals like you grow and succeed.

👉 Explore your support network here - https://treasuryrecruitment.com/partners/

Looking to grow your treasury career or boost your qualifications?

We’ve partnered with the AFP to offer $150 off both your CTP or FP&A study and exam registration – yes, that’s $150 off each! Plus, we’ve got $150 off your AFP Boston 2024 conference ticket too.

👉 Grab all the discount codes and details here: https://TreasuryRecruitment.com/Partners/

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What happens when a seasoned finance professional is tasked with creating a treasury function from scratch?

In this episode, Richard Abigail, Group Treasurer and Head of Corporate Finance at Knight Frank shares how he shaped treasury roles across multiple industries, tackled global financial challenges, and ultimately transformed the treasury landscape at Knight Frank.

This week, Mike Richards is joined by Richard Abigail, Group Treasurer and Head of Corporate Finance at Knight Frank LLP. With a career spanning from auditing to international corporate finance, Richard brings deep insights into treasury transformation, risk management, and operational leadership.

Prior to Knight Frank, he held key roles at companies like iTouch Ventures and Arup, navigating everything from acquisitions to global cash pooling.

Main topics discussed:

• Richard’s transition from audit to corporate finance and treasury at iTouch.
• How managing cash and acquisitions led to his treasury focus.
• Key initiatives like navigating China's cash repatriation rules and executing twin refinancing and real estate transactions.
• Treasury Transformation at Arup: Building global cash pools and shifting internal culture toward cash efficiency
• Knight Frank’s Treasury Buildout: Designing a treasury function from the ground up for a partnership-based real estate firm.
• Insights into handling regulated client funds and working within RICS frameworks.
• Sustainable Finance Innovation: Plans to implement sustainability-linked partner capital loans.
• Why Richard values being a “fast follower” rather than an early adopter when it comes to technology in treasury.
• Advice for Aspiring Treasurers and the importance of education, understanding your business, and staying curious.

You can connect with Richard Abigail on LinkedIn.

Enjoying the Podcast? Here’s More to Boost Your Treasury Career!

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🎙️ Subscribe to the Treasury Career Corner podcast

Never miss an episode! Hit subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Apple Podcasts –

Enjoying the Podcast? Here’s More to Boost Your Treasury Career!

Subscribe to the Treasury Recruitment Newsletter today and get:

📄 Instant Access to Our Latest CV/Resume Templates – Designed specifically for treasury professionals.

📊 The Treasury Salary Trends 2025 Whitepaper – Packed with the latest salary insights and benchmarks.

💼 Practical Tips to Level Up Your Treasury Profile – Stand out in your career.

It’s quick, it’s free, and it’s all yours!

Sign Up Here: https://treasuryrecruitment.com/newsletter/

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How do you go from a Graduate Trainee to a Group Treasurer at a major multinational company?

In this episode, Declan Ware, Group Treasurer at EMR (European Metal Recycling Group), shares his journey through the treasury world, the challenges he faced, and the lessons he learned along the way.

If you're interested in career growth, global treasury operations, risk management, and relationship building in finance, this episode is a must-listen.

Declan Ware is the Group Treasurer at EMR, a global leader in sustainable materials recycling with operations across the UK, US, Germany, and the Netherlands. With almost 20 years of experience in corporate treasury, Declan has navigated treasury operations across multiple markets, managed financial risk, and led key funding and liquidity strategies at EMR.

Main topics discussed:

• Declan’s journey from a finance graduate at BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels Plc) to discovering the impact of treasury on global business.
• His move to EY’s Infrastructure Advisory team, why he explored practice, and what brought him back to corporate treasury.
• How Declan joined EMR, grew with the company, and navigated treasury challenges over 16 years.
• Why treasury is more than cash management, influencing business strategy, financial planning, and operational success.
• The key foreign exchange, commodity, and market risks treasury professionals must manage in multinational companies.
• How sustainability (ESG), compliance, and economic volatility are reshaping the treasury landscape.
• Why networking, banking partnerships, and internal collaboration are crucial for treasury professionals.
• The impact of AI, automation, and increasing compliance requirements on the future of treasury operations.

You can connect with Declan Ware on LinkedIn.

Looking to grow your treasury career or boost your qualifications?

We’ve partnered with the AFP to offer $150 off both your CTP or FP&A study and exam registration – yes, that’s $150 off each! Plus, we’ve got $150 off your AFP Boston 2024 conference ticket too.

👉 Grab all the discount codes and details here: https://TreasuryRecruitment.com/Partners/

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🎙️ Subscribe to the Treasury Career Corner podcast

Never miss an episode! Hit subscribe on your favourite platform:

• Apple Podcasts –

Enjoying the Podcast? Here’s More to Boost Your Treasury Career!

Subscribe to the Treasury Recruitment Newsletter today and get:

📄 Instant Access to Our Latest CV/Resume Templates – Designed specifically for treasury professionals.

📊 The Treasury Salary Trends 2025 Whitepaper – Packed with the latest salary insights and benchmarks.

💼 Practical Tips to Level Up Your Treasury Profile – Stand out in your career.

It’s quick, it’s free, and it’s all yours! Sign Up Here:

https://treasuryrecruitment.com/newsletter/

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What does it take to rise to the top in treasury leadership?

In this special episode of the Treasury Career Corner podcast recorded LIVE at our recent event in New York, host Mike Richards brings together three distinguished treasury leaders for a powerful conversation on navigating and succeeding in the world of corporate finance.

Summa Simmons, Sandra Ramos Alves, and Frank Melaccio each share candid stories about the pivotal moments that shaped their careers - from unexpected hallway conversations and international assignments to making bold choices in uncertain times. Together, they explore how treasury professionals can elevate their impact, whether through strategic risk-taking, championing their teams, or building cross-functional visibility.

With honest reflections, practical advice, and a strong emphasis on leadership, culture, and continuous learning, this episode is a must-listen for treasury practitioners at every stage of their journey.

Meet the Guests:

• Summa Simmons, Associate Vice President of Treasury at Victoria’s Secret & Co.: From booking journal entries to leading a top-tier treasury team, Summa shares how curiosity, connection, and stepping out of your comfort zone can unlock a fulfilling career.
• Sandra Ramos Alves, Senior Vice President & Treasurer at Bristol Myers Squibb: A CPA and seasoned treasury leader with a rich international background, Sandra discusses advocating for yourself, building high-trust teams, and how her bold career moves shaped her journey.
• Frank Melaccio, Vice President, Finance & Treasurer at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ: With roots in banking and a passion for education, Frank brings a practical, risk-minded view to treasury and shares how teaching keeps him sharp as a leader.

Main topics discussed:

• Each guest’s unique and non-linear path into treasury
• Taking smart career risks and advocating for your goals
• How to build and manage high-performing, values-aligned treasury teams
• Education, continuous learning, and mentoring in treasury careers
• The evolving role of treasury...

Enjoying the Podcast? Here’s More to Boost Your Treasury Career!

Subscribe to the Treasury Recruitment Newsletter today and get:

📄 Instant Access to Our Latest CV/Resume Templates – Designed specifically for treasury professionals.

📊 The Treasury Salary Trends 2025 Whitepaper – Packed with the latest salary insights and benchmarks.

💼 Practical Tips to Level Up Your Treasury Profile – Stand out in your career.

It’s quick, it’s free, and it’s all yours!

Sign Up Here: https://treasuryrecruitment.com/newsletter/

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How do you build a thriving treasury career across multiple industries while navigating global finance challenges?

In this episode, Mags Bourke, Global Treasurer at Duracell, shares her incredible journey from construction to treasury leadership. She reveals how she’s driving treasury transformation at Duracell, the power of automation, and the key lessons she’s learned managing cash, risk, and teams across different regions.

With a career spanning over 30 years and a various industries from construction and logistics to fine art and oil & gas, Mags Bourke has built a reputation as a treasury leader who thrives in complex, global environments. Now the Global Treasurer at Duracell, she oversees cash management, risk mitigation, and financial strategy for one of the world’s most recognized brands.

Main topics discussed:

• Mags’ career journey and transition from quantity surveying to treasury, the industries she worked in, and how she built a successful career in finance.
• Understanding treasury at Duracell – the structure of treasury operations in a decentralized organization.
• Overcoming treasury challenges and strategies for managing cash flow, liquidity, and foreign exchange risk across global markets.
• The shift to “zero-touch treasury” and how automation is transforming treasury operations.
• The importance of mentorship, continuous learning, and strategic career decisions in professional growth.
• Managing Treasury in Times of Crisis. Mags' Insights from handling financial downturns and navigating high-pressure corporate transitions.
• The role of technology, process simplification, and automation in shaping the next phase of treasury operations.

You can connect with Mags Bourke on LinkedIn.

Are you interested in pursuing a career within Treasury?

Whether you’ve recently graduated, or you want to search for new job opportunities to help develop your treasury career, The Treasury Recruitment Company can help you in your search for the perfect job. Find out more here. Or, send us your CV and let us help you in your next career move!

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