How AI Can Build Stronger Treasury Teams Without Replacing Human Judgment | Treasury Careers Podcast

Mike, CEO, The Treasury Recruitment Company: Welcome to this week’s Treasury Career Corner Podcast. We’re interviewing treasury professionals about their treasury careers. [00:00:05] Each and every week we talk to a treasurer about how they built their careers, where they are now, and where they see both [00:00:10] themselves and the treasury profession going to next.

Mike: In this week’s show, I’m joined by Antonios [00:00:15] Rezopoulos, the head of treasury at Nomios Group.

Mike: Nomios [00:00:20] is a leading European cybersecurity and networking company that design, secure, [00:00:25] and manage digital infrastructures for organizations of all sizes across a wide [00:00:30] range of industries.

Mike: By combining cutting-edge technology with consulting, [00:00:35] managed services, professional services, they pro- create strategic value for their customers and [00:00:40] partners. But I’m gonna get Antonios to explain a bit more about the company later in the show. On, [00:00:45] and, just saying before, this is our eighth anniversary.

Mike: This is literally to the day that we released [00:00:50] our first one many years ago with Sarah Jane. So nice to have this [00:00:55] celebratory episode. Sir, but if you would, take us back to, as we’ve done over these many weeks, [00:01:00] the beginning of your career. How did you first get into finance, and what led, then led you into treasury?

Mike: Over to you. [00:01:05]

Antonios, Head of Treasury at Nomios Group: So good to be here. Thanks for the invite. I really appreciate- Pleasure … [00:01:10] being on here on this celebratory moment- Yeah … for your podcast. [00:01:15] So when it comes to me, I started my career in banking, [00:01:20] initially in, corporate credit risk. And I have to say, that gave me like a [00:01:25] strong foundation in financial analysis and understanding how companies [00:01:30] fund themselves.

Antonios: So that helped me when I moved to corporate [00:01:35] treasury at Coca-Cola, initially at the front office role focused on FX. [00:01:40] And really, that was, for me, the early entry [00:01:45] point into treasury. From there, my responsibilities [00:01:50] gradually expanded into liquidity, cash management, banking, [00:01:55] transformation, and eventually treasury leadership.

Antonios: Looking [00:02:00] back, the move from banking into treasury was [00:02:05] very important because banking gave me the risk perspective, while [00:02:10] treasury allowed me to apply that much more directly [00:02:15] into the financial operations of the business.

Mike: And did you know [00:02:20] what treasury… Did you know what to expect? did you have any exposure to treasury, [00:02:25] or was it all…

Mike: what were the big learning things for you coming from banking and “Oh, wow, didn’t realize we [00:02:30] did this breadth of activity” in those early days? What were you learning?

Antonios: So of course, [00:02:35] like if you are, working in, the banking sector, treasury is, very active [00:02:40] there because you have the bank perspective on, all the deals.

Antonios: Of course, like I was [00:02:45] not working on the treasury department of the bank. However, being to [00:02:50] credit, I was close to there, so I was- Yeah … understanding the banking products and what [00:02:55] the corporates want to achieve there. So naturally, I [00:03:00] knew a few things, but I didn’t expect the [00:03:05] whole spectrum. And of course, I was lucky enough to be [00:03:10] employed by an established company that had a [00:03:15] very large treasury.

Antonios: So it utilized all of the [00:03:20] banking products that, each bank would provide, and on top of that, they were [00:03:25] doing projects. Yeah. So that was that I [00:03:30] didn’t expect when I joined treasury, that actually treasury [00:03:35] is a core partner of the business.

Antonios: Yeah. I thought, it’s more on the [00:03:40] side, They only deal with the bank, and they are on their own, silo. [00:03:45] Nothing more

Antonios: than that. Yeah. You just had that silo view, yeah. But apparently they are a core partner of the business.

Mike: And coming from banking as well, [00:03:50] just before we move into- more about your role at Coke and things, what I have, when I’ve [00:03:55] had some of my European guests and they’ve worked with different banks, what they’ve said is it’s great to, [00:04:00] you, you then understand what the other side of the table, on the banking side, what they need and what the corporate [00:04:05] needs and things like that.

Mike: But when they’ve also talked, they said what’s interesting and then when they go to [00:04:10] three different banks, when they, when you’re in the corporate and things, they, all those [00:04:15] banks, the d- they ask for different things. I’m not talking KYC, I’m talking more that they [00:04:20] often, Did you find that an interesting move for you because you’d gone into treasury [00:04:25] and you were like, “Oh, this bank wants this,” or, “This bank is more focused on this”? [00:04:30] How did you deal with that? Obviously, ’cause you were an ex-banker, so you knew this stuff.

Antonios: So actually, [00:04:35] the reason that I moved into the corporate world it was because [00:04:40] I wanted my work to have an impact. And, let’s [00:04:45] be clear, and that banks, they need to follow [00:04:50] specific processes, then they are more slow.

Antonios: And as an [00:04:55] individual, you don’t have that much of an impact. So I [00:05:00] have to say that the corporate world actually [00:05:05] confirmed to me that the banks sometimes can be very [00:05:10] slow and very bureaucratic.

Mike: Yeah. So, you joined Coke.

Mike: [00:05:15] Originally, you were in Greece, but then you relocated to Amsterdam, which is obviously a big shift as well.

Antonios: Yes. [00:05:20]

Mike: what was that? How did your role evolve as you moved and, you then grew your [00:05:25] career, if you like, over a number of years? Talk us through that move and what it was like for you.

Antonios: The move to [00:05:30] Amsterdam from Athens coincided with an significant broadening [00:05:35] of, my role because I moved from primarily focusing on effects [00:05:40] and commodity exposures into a much wider regional treasury [00:05:45] environment covering cash management, liquidity planning, cash [00:05:50] pooling, in-house cash banking, and treasury centralization.

Antonios: And [00:05:55] that, for me, that was important because I stopped looking treasury as [00:06:00] a series of individual activities and started understand how [00:06:05] those are connected. And actually, it was my first real, [00:06:10] exposure to a large transformation of initiative [00:06:15] involving different countries, business unit systems and stakeholders, [00:06:20] which actually shaped the way I approach m- the rest of my career.

Mike: [00:06:25] And with you, as you say, you were growing your experiences and, they were taking on more [00:06:30] technologies. You joined Coca-Cola- can you explain how Coca-Cola [00:06:35] is organized just, from a top level, just so that people go, “Is this Coca-Cola,” [00:06:40] or how does it organize?

Mike: Just at a very high level, just so they understand it, ’cause obviously different. We’re the [00:06:45] bottlers,

Antonios: With the acquisition of the African bottler, they have- Oh, yes, right

Antonios: expanded a [00:06:50] lot. So-

Mike: Yeah …

Antonios: things might have changed-

Antonios: . What

Mike: was it like when you were there sort of thing?

Antonios: So [00:06:55] when I was there, of course, there were, the Zug offices where the [00:07:00] CFO and the CEO are based, and then they had, offices in [00:07:05] every country that they operated.

Mike: But you were then, during your time, you [00:07:10] were involved in lots of different projects. You, Yes … you were doing, and I know [00:07:15] you, we talked about this, you were recently at EuroFinance of things. You had, cash pooling, [00:07:20] in-house banking. Which of those experiences, made the biggest, helped you the most if you [00:07:25] like, developed your career if you like?

Antonios: I would say most probably it was, treasury [00:07:30] centralization because, it brought many individual [00:07:35] areas together. When you centralize a treasury, you are simply [00:07:40] not implementing a cash pooling or a, a connection to the bank. [00:07:45] You need to understand the full business, the [00:07:50] liquidity- Yeah … the FX, the banking, the technology, tax, everything.[00:07:55]

Antonios: And for me, that experience taught me to think about [00:08:00] treasury as an operating model rather than, an individual, process.

Mike: [00:08:05] Yeah. And you, and that part that you, you’re progressing through different roles, weren’t you? You sort [00:08:10] of- you had five different roles, which was amazing, but over 10 years, which is [00:08:15] now you’re in a different ro- what was that like for you?

Antonios: I think it was very interesting, because I was [00:08:20] o- offered the, opportunity, and I really, appreciate that. But [00:08:25] I think that for, any individual, the key if they want to [00:08:30] progress is to continuously moving and taking always something [00:08:35] new.

Antonios: Because for me, each role have added [00:08:40] another dimension than simply repeating what [00:08:45] I already knew. And I was always very interested in understanding [00:08:50] how different parts of treasury connect, and I didn’t want to define [00:08:55] myself only as the FX person, as only the cash management person. [00:09:00] And obviously, that range of experience ultimately [00:09:05] made me take a full treasury ownership later in my career.

Mike: [00:09:10] And then with that, what were you would you encourage other treasury [00:09:15] professionals to do that and What did it give you thing?

Antonios: I think, [00:09:20] what, it gave me is, was, perspective. And I’ll [00:09:25] definitely, encourage everybody to do that because obviously if they want to move [00:09:30] into leadership roles, you need to understand each part [00:09:35] of, the business. Because, if at first you wanna be a first line [00:09:40] manager, you need to be there to support your team and [00:09:45] not just delegate things.

Antonios: And actually, as you progress [00:09:50] into the leadership, you also want to understand, the, the struggles [00:09:55] of each individual, phases.

Mike: Yeah, you need to know those roles as well. And [00:10:00] then you talk about there, you did your 10 years at Coke, and then you moved to Nomios. Can you [00:10:05] explain who Nomios are?

Mike: you’ll do a better job of it than me.

Antonios: Nomios [00:10:10] has been, very active in, cybersecurity But [00:10:15] also, providing other services such as SOCs but [00:10:20] also being the middleman between big [00:10:25] companies Palo Alto and i- customers like [00:10:30] Odido and KPN in the Netherlands that they want the support.

Mike: Yeah, so you sit between them. And so you’ve been there a year or so. [00:10:50] What was it like, the shift between you coming from a large corporate to Nomios, [00:10:55] a private equity, you know, company, as the head of treasury? that, that must have been a learning [00:11:00] curve. What were the biggest learnings?

Mike: What was your blank sheet of paper, if you like? And, I often talk [00:11:05] about that.

Antonios: Obviously, moving from established company to a, a private [00:11:10] equity for me, that was the interesting thing because I was, [00:11:15] employed to establish the treasury function that at the mo- at the time, one [00:11:20] year ago, they didn’t have a specific, dedicated function.

Antonios: And my [00:11:25] initial priority for me was to establish the foundation, the [00:11:30] operational model, the governance processes, and the team. And from [00:11:35] there, my focus expanded on, group-wide liquidity [00:11:40] management, cash forecasting, banking effects, credit facilities, [00:11:45] and of course, the treasury transformation, including Kyriba as our, TMS.

Antonios: [00:11:50] And overall the objective has been to, [00:11:55] establish a more, centralized, scalable, and controlled [00:12:00] treasury function to support the group. Yeah. So for me, that [00:12:05] was very exciting because in the past, I have done [00:12:10] individual projects, but I haven’t established a- a treasury function [00:12:15] from the start.

Antonios: There were before treasury activities, but they were done [00:12:20] from different, departments and not in a modern [00:12:25] way.

Mike: Yeah.

Antonios: So this is why, this is where I stepped in, [00:12:30] and I utilized my experience in [00:12:35] treasury with 10 years with Coca-Cola on five different roles to help them [00:12:40] be where we are now, and I’m very excited on [00:12:45] what we have achieved in less than one year.

Mike: That’s amazing. And then when you were bringing [00:12:50] people on board, what was your, what did you look for? you’ve been, as you say, you’ve had this [00:12:55] great depth of corporate experience. What was the first thing that stood out to you, or what things are you trying to [00:13:00] avoid, when you’re recruiting?

Antonios: So actually, when I’m recruiting, I want [00:13:05] s- a person that have, strong technical knowledge- Yeah … but for me, [00:13:10] also integrity plays, plays one important role because in treasury we [00:13:15] deal with, with payments, with cash pooling, with fraud. Integrity is very [00:13:20] important. But I also, I tend to recruit people that ask the right [00:13:25] questions, and they have curiosity, and they just don’t want to [00:13:30] rely on the experience that they have gained over the years.

Antonios: [00:13:35] Rather, they just are curious to see what can [00:13:40] be done better.

Mike: How do you assess that then if you’re interviewing someone? How do you measure [00:13:45] that? How do get a handle on that?

Antonios: actually, I’m not only asking [00:13:50] questions, but I’m bringing them, real problems that we face.

Antonios: [00:13:55] And we say, “Okay, we face this issue, [00:14:00] so how would you deal with that?” Or for example, I wanna see how [00:14:05] they would, prioritize things, so I bring them, multiple priorities and [00:14:10] I’m saying, “Okay, how would you approach that?” Because obviously the [00:14:15] priorities in a smaller company and w- in a private [00:14:20] equity, they’re much more different than the ones that of an [00:14:25] established, company that has a treasury function that is mature.

Antonios: And [00:14:30] mostly I’m not looking for the right answer, I’m looking to see if [00:14:35] the people would approach this differently.

Mike: Yeah. And just going back to that, [00:14:40] you said how it’s different in private. How is it different? you… what is the [00:14:45] difference? I had Julie Fabris many years ago. She was m- many [00:14:50] private equity companies she’s worked for, and we joked before.

Mike: I said Julie, it’s just about the cash. You’re a [00:14:55] cash manager, really, glorified.” And she was like, “Yeah, that’s me, Mike. That’s what I do. I just look after the cash.” [00:15:00] But she actually m- we talked about this, and we joked about it, and she said, “‘Cause once you get all the [00:15:05] cash in the right place, then you can do the other stuff and all the interesting stuff.”

Mike: And I was like, “Wow, that’s it.” She said, [00:15:10] “Yeah, you need a robust cashflow. You need this and this, and then e- everything else flows from it.” [00:15:15] Is that similar with yourselves, or what would you say?

Antonios: I think it’s very similar, and I think the [00:15:20] smaller the companies are, treasury is not doing only one thing.

Antonios: [00:15:25] So on top of that, on my treasury function, I’m also doing some finance [00:15:30] operation activities, like management of, receivables and also the credit. [00:15:35]

Mike: Yeah.

Antonios: So that, that also support me when I have to [00:15:40] do the, the cash forecasting because I know firsthand what’s happening, with [00:15:45] the, receivables.

Antonios: Also, I have a better control on the payment terms, so [00:15:50] that allows me to ha- to be in a better control of the [00:15:55] working capital. And, I would say the biggest [00:16:00] difference is that you are not doing only one thing. You have to [00:16:05] do 10 things at the same time. So in that [00:16:10] sense, your priorities shift.

Mike: Yeah.

Antonios: Of course, the most [00:16:15] important thing is to ensure operational-wise there is sufficient [00:16:20] liquidity, et cetera. But sometimes you might say, “Oh [00:16:25] I don’t have now the time to do the best deal, or maybe I will trade [00:16:30] tomorrow because at the moment I need to, focus [00:16:35] on, giving, the right credit into, that customer.”

Mike: And [00:16:40] then, and this, so this is part of one of these spinning plates, if you like. You did a session [00:16:45] recently at EuroFinance. You talked about AI, fraud prevention, and how [00:16:50] treasury’s evolving.

Mike: What was that like, if you like, for yourself? Obviously, I know it was your, one of your first [00:16:55] sessions you’ve given- Yeah

Mike: and you’re on a stage. But also how does that relate to your day job as well? Is that a [00:17:00] key thing for you, you’re finding that really that’s, everyone’s talking about it, and I talk about the [00:17:05] noise and things. how does it all fit in with your role?

Antonios: So when, [00:17:10] it comes to EuroFinance, specifically and, what meant to me, I think for [00:17:15] me it was a very significant personal career moment because EuroFinance brings together a highly [00:17:20] experienced international, treasury, audience.

Antonios: And [00:17:25] the focus of my session was on fraud, cybercrime, and the evolving role [00:17:30] of AI. So the, the key message that I wanted people to take [00:17:35] was that technology alone is not enough, and [00:17:40] AI can be extremely powerful for fraud detection and transformation [00:17:45] monitoring, but resilience, comes from combining [00:17:50] people, processes, technology, and, governance. So I wanted to [00:17:55] make sure the discussion remained grounded in, the corporate [00:18:00] treasury reality than becoming purely a, a technology discussion.[00:18:05]

Antonios: But in general, what is happening, so all of [00:18:10] us that we are in corporate, we see that the fraud [00:18:15] is evolving very quickly. Deep fake social [00:18:20] engineering in increasingly convincing phishing. So for us, [00:18:25] it means that fraud prevention doesn’t start, with [00:18:30] with a payment, but rather we have to build a [00:18:35] process on board everyone meaning people, process, [00:18:40] technology, and governance, and then tackle this from the start.

Antonios: [00:18:45] Because what the fraudsters they have in their advantage [00:18:50] is the speed. So for us in treasury, what we can have in our [00:18:55] advantage is the framework, and AI can support us on the [00:19:00] technology part on a lot of elements.

Mike: And simplify that for me, if you like. Top [00:19:05] couple of tips that someone walking away from that session-

Antonios: Yeah

Mike: what do you think that they [00:19:10] should… what was the message you wanted that audience to ask you a question about [00:19:15] after the session? Or what do you want them to go, “Oh, right from Antonios’ session, I- I learned [00:19:20] this”? Or, “I’m gonna go back to the office, I’m gonna do this.” Simplify it for me.

Antonios: So [00:19:25] for me, it’s not how much AI we [00:19:30] use, there, but it is how we can build a [00:19:35] framework where AI can be a part of it to make it work. So [00:19:40] I will start with a, a simple example, like- Yeah … people. We [00:19:45] want, our people to do everything, but at the same time, [00:19:50] our people cannot do that.

Antonios: So there, it comes the process. You [00:19:55] can onboard an, automated verification tool to do the [00:20:00] checks, of the invoices when they initially come, because obviously [00:20:05] that’s the entry point of the fraud. And, then- You can [00:20:10] also, on, on top of that, use the TMS to do [00:20:15] some, predefined, rules there.

Antonios: And then on top of that, [00:20:20] do some, cybersecurity training on your people. And [00:20:25] also support that with phishing simulation, and AI can [00:20:30] support you on that. Then also utilize your banking partners because [00:20:35] the banks, after the payment they do a lot [00:20:40] of verification of payee with the support of AI.

Antonios: So you [00:20:45] don’t always need to onboard an AI systems, but you can rely on the bank- , all [00:20:50] those elements, they can really support a business if they want to build [00:20:55] more strict rules when it comes to AI and fraud prevention. [00:21:00]

Mike: And you and I, we were talking before your session, ’cause it was one of your first sessions, and you were- Yes[00:21:05]

Mike: just, nervous about it, but you were like- Yeah … had great re- reports, and you then featured [00:21:10] in the EuroFinance sort of articles after. So it was a really, positive experience. But [00:21:15] any tips? I was giving some of the tips because I’ve done these [00:21:20] sessions. You know- Yeah

Mike: and I said before that in Chicago y- many years ago, I was like I knew I needed to get out [00:21:25] of my comfort zone, and now I am. now, was just saying before, I’m doing the AFP [00:21:30] session, I’m hosting a session with three people, and then interviewing on the [00:21:35] stage. I’m moderating a session with the global treasurer of Amazon, interviewing the global treasurer of [00:21:40] Starbucks.

Mike: I never thought… someone had said that to me 15 years ago, I’d have said, “Get out. Don’t be [00:21:45] stupid.” I, I’d be lucky to talk to them at a conference, now I’m interviewing them. [00:21:50] Because I got, got on a stage, and I know that won’t be your last time, but what are the tips that you [00:21:55] would, reflecting back on it, I’m sure that you, in that bar that night, you thought, “That was good.”

Mike: What was the [00:22:00] do’s and don’ts sort of thing? What advice would you give people?

Antonios: I think it’s [00:22:05] be overprepared because that always helps- Yeah … especially if it’s your [00:22:10] first, public, speaking session. [00:22:15] And I think when it comes on [00:22:20] what to avoid, try not to think about it a lot because obviously [00:22:25] for me, I was very nervous, but once the discussion started, [00:22:30] it felt natural because I was speaking about issues that [00:22:35] we actually face in corporate treasury.

Antonios: Yes. So even though, you might be feel [00:22:40] nervous, you at the end of the day think that you’re going to talk about something [00:22:45] that you do every day. So it’s something that it comes [00:22:50] natural for me. if I want to make parallels with that, I would say it’s like [00:22:55] thinking of jumping off a cliff. Before- Yeah

Antonios: y- you jump, [00:23:00] you always think about it. But when you actually jump, you said, “Okay, I wanna do this again.” So-

Mike: Yeah …

Antonios: [00:23:05] that summarized my feeling.

Mike: it’s a bit like with the podcast, you and I were just talking before, and people [00:23:10] have said, “Oh, the podcast.” I went, “It’s talking about your day job, and it’s a conversation.”

Mike: They’re like, “Oh, [00:23:15] yeah.” I said, “That’s what I do when I’m… I had, Tai-Kar Fraser, she was absolutely nervous about [00:23:20] our New York session. I went, “Can you talk about you and your job for 15 minutes?” She went, [00:23:25] yeah.” I said, “That’s what you’re gonna do.” She went, “Oh, okay.” And I said… And she came to me [00:23:30] after, she went, “That’s all I did.”

Mike: I went, “I know. I’ll give you the questions.” And also, when we [00:23:35] do our group sessions, you do an intro, you do the quest- you know, do the conversation, and then you [00:23:40] have 15 minutes of Q&A and, wrap up at the end. I said, “You’re gonna talk [00:23:45] for 12 to 15 minutes about what you do.” And she was like, “It’s not very long.”

Mike: I went, [00:23:50] “No, you don’t need to.” and I’m sure you felt the same or, that it was good.

Antonios: Great. [00:23:55] yeah. It, wa- it was, amazing, and honestly, I’m looking forward [00:24:00] for, next year because EuroFinance next year is coming to Amsterdam in [00:24:05] my hometown,

Mike: Yes. I actually knew that before, when it was announced on the back of the badges, they were like, “Oh.” I said, “Yeah, I knew [00:24:10] this.” They’re like, “Oh, okay.”

Mike: So Looking forward, the challenges coming for [00:24:15] you, there is so much about technology, AI, and things. How do you prioritize it, or [00:24:20] where do you think that the future of treasury is, changing in the ways… I give it… [00:24:25] Sorry to jump in. Someone asked me at the ACT conference in Liverpool, they said, this [00:24:30] member of the org, “Where is it gonna be in five years?”

Mike: I said, “Do you know where we’re gonna be in five years?” She, I [00:24:35] said, “I don’t know where…” I said, “If I said to you two years ago ChatGPT, you’d have gone, [00:24:40] ‘Chat what?'” Yeah, exactly. nobody… it’s suddenly come onto the scene of [00:24:45] things, and large language models and things like that.

Mike: What are you thinking, without going that far [00:24:50] ahead, but what are you thinking is, the treasury professionals in particular need to think [00:24:55] about?

Antonios: I see treasury becoming increasingly automated, [00:25:00] data-driven, and real time with the support of, AI. And I [00:25:05] think that in the next years, AI will become our, partner.

Antonios: Yeah. And I think [00:25:10] that this is on our benefit because AI can improve [00:25:15] areas such as fraud detection, abnormality, identification, [00:25:20] forecasting, and also sometimes support us on the decision making. [00:25:25] But I don’t see as [00:25:30] AI replacing treasury, professionals. Yeah. I, [00:25:35] think that the treasury professionals in the coming years will spend [00:25:40] less time in processing information and more time [00:25:45] on, reading and interpreting this information, and also [00:25:50] challenging and advising the business.

Antonios: Yeah. And also to connect with [00:25:55] my key takeaway from, EuroFinance, I think the future [00:26:00] model is the one that combines people, processes, [00:26:05] technology, and governance-

Mike: Yeah …

Antonios: together with the support of, AI. Because at the [00:26:10] end of the day, human judgment is needed and cannot be replaced

Mike: And [00:26:15] I think you’re right, and I think it, it’s been an ev- treasury, all the way through, I’ve been doing treasury recruitment 30 years or [00:26:20] 25 years or whatever it’s always been an evolution.

Mike: Getting rid of processes [00:26:25] and, back in the day everyone used to do foreign exchange dealing over the phone and then do it by fax. [00:26:30] that went away. you’ve got, systems like, that aggregated foreign exchange and [00:26:35] did all that stuff. Now this is the next wave, and yes, it’s coming quickly, but it’s, that [00:26:40] horribly overused phrase, but it’s AI won’t replace you, but someone [00:26:45] using AI will be able to replace you.

Mike: Because, but it’s not take- that’s when people [00:26:50] say, “Oh, it’s gonna take my job.” if your job is a boring, tedious, routine [00:26:55] job, you probably did, get another job anyway. The fact is that’s what it’s [00:27:00] doing. Repeatable, tedious tasks, that’s what it’s gonna do. It’s gonna actually help your [00:27:05] productivity and it’s, you and I both see that within treasury, isn’t it?

Mike: So [00:27:10] that’s the direction it’s, that’s the direction of travel, wouldn’t you say?

Antonios: I, totally agree, and [00:27:15] I, think most probably that when computers, went, [00:27:20] and being part of the corporate world people felt, “Oh, we’re gonna lose our [00:27:25] jobs. Computers are going to replace us.” Yeah.

Antonios: No, that didn’t happen. It [00:27:30] actually changed for the better the way that we are working, so I think [00:27:35] AI will do the same.

Mike: And just holistically looking at your career so [00:27:40] far, from when you first started in, finance and banking through to now, head of [00:27:45] treasury, Nomios and things are there any, standout things or any things that have been key to [00:27:50] yourself and your attitude or the way that you thought about things?

Antonios: I think if I [00:27:55] have to give one advice is, take opportunities that stretch you [00:28:00] and try not to specialize too narrowly and too early. [00:28:05] And try to understand the whole spectrum- [00:28:10]

Antonios: of, of treasury and see treasury as [00:28:15] a key partner to the business … And [00:28:20] I would say try to work not only on your hard skills [00:28:25] but also on your soft skills, because if you are [00:28:30] progressing into leadership, y- it is important [00:28:35] how you communicate and how you secure stakeholder buy-in.[00:28:40]

Antonios: I think especially if you’re doing projects that’s a key for the [00:28:45] success because you can build the best technology ever, but [00:28:50] then nobody understands and nobody use it

Mike: So how do you do it? how do you get that stakeholder [00:28:55] buy-in?

Antonios: So I try to be transparent on what I need, and [00:29:00] I onboard everyone really early.

Antonios: And I try [00:29:05] to let them know in details what I’m trying to achieve, what I will do, [00:29:10] you cannot do everything by yourself. Yeah. You need support from other functions, [00:29:15] and sometimes the other functions see that as an additional workload. But if [00:29:20] you tell them how this is going to benefit them, then [00:29:25] they will be onboarded.

Mike: Yeah, they’ll get on board with it as well. So we’re gonna put your LinkedIn [00:29:30] details in the show notes. If you were to summarize it today, someone else, sitting there [00:29:35] with a coffee and thinking from this episode, what are other action [00:29:40] items maybe for someone, listening today that they should do?

Antonios: They should do in ter- in terms of, [00:29:45] what? If they want to progress their career, if they want to- Yeah.

Mike: Just holistically, all of it. [00:29:50] Get on the- I mean, holistically- One thing, one thing, put your hand up and, get on a, stage, whether it’s [00:29:55] EuroFinance, AFP. That’s one of the good things I’ve said, you know, because you gotta have your comfort zone.

Mike: And you [00:30:00] really enjoyed that experience, didn’t you? I,

Antonios: I think if I want to say [00:30:05] one thing is- Yes … take the opportunity even though you are [00:30:10] not ready for it, because it might not come up again. [00:30:15] And s- if you take this opportunity, just be [00:30:20] 100% sure that something more will happen the [00:30:25] next day, and another thing So I would say don’t [00:30:30] be afraid to do things when you don’t feel 100% ready. [00:30:35] Just do it.

Mike: Amazing. Yeah. Great takeaway advice. Antonios, thank you very much [00:30:40] for your time today, and look forward to seeing you on a stage very soon. Thank you very much, sir.

Antonios: It was a [00:30:45] pleasure being here. Thank you. Thank you.

Antonios: Thanks a lot for the invite.

Mike: Thank you.