Six treasury management books to hone your craft
by Pushpendra Mehta, Executive Writer, CTMfile
Pushpendra Mehta, Executive Writer, CTMfile
Walt Disney famously said, “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island.” Author Steve Siebold proved this quote when he interviewed 1,200 of the world's wealthiest people over three decades and found that they had one thing in common – they read knowledge-enhancing books.
Successful treasury leaders are avid listeners, watchers and readers (non-book and book readers). They prefer to stay ahead of the curve and keep up with the most up-to-date, relevant and important information and insights by listening to podcasts, watching videos and webinars, and reading articles, blogs and white papers (non-book reading). However, to gain access to in-depth knowledge and subject-matter expertise, seasoned treasury practitioners also read books, particularly cash and treasury management books.
We decided to compile a list of treasury management books and their descriptions to encourage treasury executives to read these books and develop a more profound understanding of the subject, which will help them advance their careers in cash and treasury management.* Here’s our list:
Treasurer's Guidebook: A Practitioner's Guide by Steven M. Bragg
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Book description and whom the book is for: The Treasurer's Guidebook shows how to enhance the treasurer position. It does so by discussing how the treasury department’s performance can be organized and fine-tuned, focusing on bank relations, cash concentration systems, investment strategies, financing sources, credit management, insurance and more. The book also addresses the administrative aspects of the treasurer’s job, including accounting for treasury transactions, treasury management systems, controls and measurements. In short, this book is the ultimate toolkit for anyone intending to expand and improve the treasurer position. |
International Cash Management: A Practical Guide to Managing Cash Flows, Liquidity, Working Capital and Short-term Financial Risks by Michiel P. Ranke, Alexander Huiskes, Anthony N. Birts, Carlo R. W. de Meijer, Petra Plompen, Gary Throup.
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Book description and whom the book is for: Modern cash management is no longer restricted to the management of business cash flows and account balances. Often, a cash manager works closely with the treasurer and bears responsibility for the management of short-term interest rate and foreign exchange risks, as well as some of the company's corporate finance operations and a number of core tasks. This fourth edition of the book again provides a fully updated overview of the position and duties of the modern cash manager in an international company. It deals with the most important instruments used in contemporary cash management. And of course, attention is paid to new techniques relevant for cash management, such as blockchain technology. There is also new content concerning best practices in specific regions. The book is intended primarily for current and future professionals in the corporate treasury and banking sectors who wish to gain practical knowledge of the subject. |
Essentials of Treasury Management by Jim Washam and Matthew D. Hill
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Book description and whom the book is for: The book reflects the principles and practices used by corporate finance and treasury professionals to optimize cash resources, maintain liquidity, ensure access to short-term and long-term financing, judge capital investment decisions and control exposure to financial risk. Mastery of the functions, processes and best practices defined in this work ensures that professionals are prepared to meet the demands and responsibilities of a corporate treasury job. This reorganized text updates the fourth edition to reflect the many changes that have taken place in recent years to the responsibilities of treasury management professionals. |
Treasury's War: The Unleashing of a New Era of Financial Warfare by Juan Zarate
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Book description and whom the book is for: In this gripping story, the author explains in unprecedented detail how a small, dedicated group of officials redefined treasury's role and unleashed a new brand of financial power – one that leveraged the private sector and banks directly to isolate rogues from the international financial system. Treasury’s War presents a sobering assessment of many of the financial threats we are facing right now and will continue to face in the coming years. A fascinating book meant for treasury and finance professionals to discover the hidden power of treasury and how it can be leveraged to attain strategic objectives. |
The Handbook of Global Corporate Treasury by Rajiv Rajendra
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Book description and whom the book is for: This book offers a uniquely global perspective, unlike most books on the subject, which tend to focus on a country-specific market. The Handbook of Global Treasury incorporates a bottom-up, segmented approach that uses fundamental building blocks to form a comprehensive overview of corporate treasury. It includes a toolkit that provides a ready foundation for learning based on checklists, templates and scorecards that can be adapted and customized to the needs of an individual corporation. The book is intended for CFOs and treasurers looking to align the treasury of a global firm with its strategic goals, bankers who seek to maximize the value they create for global clients, and treasury and finance executives interested in the nuances and practicalities of the complex world of global corporate treasury. |
Treasury Finance and Development Banking: A Guide to Credit, Debt, and Risk by Biagio Mazzi
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Book description and whom the book is for: Credit and credit risk permeate every corner of the financial world. Previously, credit tended to be acknowledged only when dealing with counterparty credit risk, high-yield debt or credit-linked derivatives. Now it affects all things, including such fundamental concepts as assessing the present value of a future cash flow. Treasury Finance and Development Banking explains that any practical knowledge of credit and debt must be rooted in a thorough understanding of where credit originates – i.e., in treasuries – or more specifically, the point at which a borrowing entity, such as a corporation, bank or sovereign nation, decides to raise capital through its treasury or debt management operation. This book offers a formal yet highly accessible overview of the structure and function of treasury departments, along with in-depth discussions of how debt affects all subsequent downstream financial activities. The book is a working resource for treasury and banking professionals, particularly those involved in the fixed income markets. |
Conclusion
Reading treasury management books can have a huge impact on your career trajectory, help you gain a deeper understanding of various treasury topics, make more informed decisions and thrive in a world of constant change.
“Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary,” observed Jim Rohn, American author and motivational speaker. Take heed from the wise words of Jim Rohn because reading offers guidance that can snowball into meaningful work accomplishments. For all you know, it might also enlighten and inspire you to write a book on treasury management someday.
*This is an independent compilation of books. It is not ranked in order of preference, nor have we received any compensation or commission from any of the authors (or publishers) of the six books included in the article.
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About the author
These are all really good recommendations. What I find astonishing is, that even the most recent (the 4th Edition of “International Cash Management” is from 2018, the majority are from 2013. No new books are being written/published in this space, as we often talk about how so many things dramatically changed in corporate treasury practices.