Treasury Training Course by ATEL and the House of Training
In this article, Benjamin Defays and François Masquelier explain the new treasury training course launched by ATEL, in association with the House of Training.
Can you give a brief description of the course?
The treasurer is the custodian of the company’s everyday liquidity. He or she manages, anticipates and secures cash flow, ensuring that the company’s financial needs are met. This 127-hour course will provide direct and practical assistance for treasurers of large companies or for people taking over the treasury responsibilities in a SME. The different modules will help to develop an in-depth knowledge of the various areas of the treasury profession. There will be an optional course, An Introduction to Treasury Management, for those who want to get up to speed as they embark on this extensive & intensive course. It covers the corporate treasurer’s main responsibilities: cash management (bank account opening, closing, KYC, cash pooling, payments and bank connectivity), liquidity management (the importance of working capital management), risk management (foreign exchange, fraud, credit risk) as well as trade finance (general context, introduction to bank guarantees and letters of credit). This will be followed by focusing on financial maths (the value of money in terms of time, vocabulary, compounding intervals, discount and annuity factors), advanced Excel and corporate finance (valuations, M&As, portfolios, corporate financing and investments). We’ll then go deeper into the core treasury function: cash management. This represents a major part of the course and focuses on payments, liquidity management, cash flow forecasting, in-house banking and banking relationships.
Risk management will also be covered in a dedicated module, focusing on FX, interest, counterparties and reputation risks. As we all know, the treasurer’s traditional scope has expanded significantly; we are well aware of this and we have adapted the course to the key activities of the modern treasury department. Consequently, the course will also include specific modules covering trade finance (bank guarantees, surety, letters of credit, cash against documents); credit control (concepts and practices/types of credit risks, understanding financial statements and ratios, credit scoring/ratings – S&P, Bloomberg models – collecting overdue receivables, setting priorities,
strategies dealing with overdue invoices and debt collection services development); pensions/insurance (general introduction to pensions and insurance, types of insurance, risk management via insurance and savings via insurance), compliance (KYC, GDPR, EMIR, Basel III, international sanctions and their impact on transactions and overall business activities, anti-corruption (FCPA, UK Bribery Act), EU competition law compliance, Incoterms, main considerations when drafting a contract), treasury accounting (hedge accounting, required documentation and formalisation of hedge accounting relationships, different hedge types (fair value, cash flow, net investment), booking adjustments of different hedge types, typical examples of different hedge types), technologies (blockchain, crypto-currencies, smart contracts, treasury console (Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters), TMS, FinTechs) and, last but not least, cybercrime (identifying the consequences of a cyberattack, main fraud schemes and how to protect against fraud). There will be continuous monitoring with intermediary exams and a final exam in the form of a case study; successful candidates will receive certification from ATEL. As you can see, the course has plenty to offer!
"There will be an invaluable benefit for all participants: being part of an extensive treasury training course given by a mixture of academics and experienced treasury professionals."
What encouraged you to create this course?
We wanted to fill a real gap in the market when it comes to the existing treasury education courses available in Luxembourg: there are relatively few and they are often expensive. A lot of young treasury professionals looking for a training course and even companies looking to invest in their treasury teams find it difficult to access quality courses. Often, they either choose expensive online training courses or travel to different locations in Europe.
How does this course address training needs in Luxembourg and how does it help the job market? What needs are not currently being met? What needs does it meet?
This course responds to a long-standing need in Luxembourg and addresses a key concern in terms of the sustainability of the treasurer’s role.
How will participants benefit from taking this course, rather than another one?
There will be an invaluable benefit for all participants: being part of an extensive treasury training course given by a mixture of academics and experienced treasury professionals. The course will provide participants with significant added value which will ensure that they are seen as strategic individuals and team members within their companies. Participants will rapidly have the opportunity to put the majority of the course materials into practice when at work. The programme aims to provide participants with the knowledge and understanding to help the treasurer of large companies or to take over treasury responsibilities in a SME. The different modules will provide an in-depth knowledge of the various areas of the treasury profession. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance, provided by the House of Training, and a certificate on passing the exam, provided by ATEL. An 80% attendance rate and an average examination score of 60% are required to receive this documentation. Participants will also receive free one-year membership to ATEL (www.atel.lu), with all the benefits it entails.
Who is the target audience?
Anyone who wants to acquire an in-depth knowledge of corporate treasury and who wants to put this knowledge into practice. In terms of requirements, a basic background in finance or accounting is enough. The Introduction to Treasury Management course will help anyone who wants to get up to speed before the start of the course.
Where and how often will the course be held?
Each module will last for a day and is held in English. Training days will be held over a period of 6 months from September 2020 to March 2021, with 2-3 days per month.
The course will be held at the House of Training in Luxembourg.
What will happen if physical classes can’t be held or if participants are reluctant to attend? Is there another option?
Yes, of course. The House of Training has offered remote courses previously and this course will be no exception, although we do prefer physical classes.
How much will the course cost and how can participants register?
The total cost is €2,600 (+3% VAT). It’s easy to register online, either on ATEL’s website or on the House of Training’s website. Please contact me on LinkedIn if you have any issues or questions.
Benjamin Defays, Treasury Manager, Koch Engineered Solutions