How Treasury Earns Its Seat at the Table Through Trust

Treasury is no longer a quiet back-office function that only gets noticed when cash runs short.

In this live Treasury Career Corner panel, three senior treasury leaders explain how trust, relationships, commercial understanding, and curiosity are what truly help treasury earn influence across the business.

Meet the Guests:

• Louise Woodroffe, Head of Treasury at Hastings Direct
• Mike Tackley, Global Head of Treasury, Howden Insurance
• Joanne McCormack, Treasury Director

In this live recorded episode from our Treasury Career Corner event in London, host Mike Richards is joined by:

• Louise Woodroffe, Head of Treasury at Hastings Direct, with previous treasury experience at Marks & Spencer, Burberry, and across mining and real estate.
• Mike Tackley, Global Head of Treasury, Howden Insurance, with previous experience scaling the treasury function at Chrysaor and working across treasury roles at BG Group.
• Joanne McCormack - An experienced treasury leader whose career has taken her through Time Warner Inc, Warner Music Group, GE Capital Real Estate, Travelport, and Interpublic Group.

This episode explores what it really takes to build a successful treasury career and become a trusted voice within the wider business. The panel discusses how their careers evolved across different industries, why treasury professionals need to understand the business behind the numbers, and how strong relationships can open doors that technical skills alone cannot.

The conversation also looks at the future of treasury, including the role of AI, automation, data quality, and prompt skills. While technology is becoming more important, the panel is clear that human judgement, commercial awareness, and trust remain essential.

Key topics discussed:

• How each guest found their way into treasury through different routes and career paths.
• Why treasury professionals should stay open to opportunities rather than relying only on a fixed career plan.
• The importance of understanding the business, not just the treasury function.
• How treasury earns a seat at the table by building trust, protecting the business, and adding commercial value.
• Why relationship-building is essential when joining a new company or building a treasury function from scratch.
• How treasury teams can become stronger business partners across the business.
• The role of AI and automation in treasury.
• How networking, recruiters, and industry events can shape long-term career opportunities.
• What hiring managers really look for.
• Why technical qualifications such as ACT can help open doors, but behaviours and relationships often determine progression.

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