Global Treasury Survey 2023

While most business functions increasingly move towards digitalisation and automation, treasury appears to be still lagging behind in this regard. Altough various digital solutions and technology are available that can indeed enable treasurers to provide better financial and forecasting services, corporates face difficulties attracting the right profilesto implement these solutions. As an example, the number of respondents allocating resources specifically to data analytics for treasury is 25% globally, and Belgium scores even lower at 10%.

An increasing number of corporates are switching to a “direct-to-consumer” business model, as a move to approach their client base directly instead of resorting to third parties for selling their products. For treasurers, it means new risks to be factored in.

Interest in ESG is growing across the world, with 81% of the responding corporations having integrated this into their decision making. Belgium is following closely, with 77% of respondents having implemented ESG measures and 30% is having a formal policy in place (compared to 33% globally).

With interest rates continuously on the rise since 2021 and with high volatility in foreign exchange rates and commodity prices, these are increasingly perceived as three of the most important economic risks facing corporate treasurers. Recent bank bankruptcies are also affecting trust in banks as a source of funding.