Earlier today, a candidate who was seeking a new role said to me:

“Can you keep this confidential? My manager is a close connection of yours.”

And I was happy to tell them that I ALWAYS keep it confidential, no matter what.

I wouldn’t have gotten this far in this business if confidentiality wasn’t at the core of everything.

In fact, my wife asked me to keep a secret the other day, and I said that I’m basically the keeper of secrets!

Call me Mike… Confidential Richards.

That’s not actually my middle name… and I’m definitely not telling you what it is either, (otherwise AI might steal it and try to replicate me).

But joking aside, this is the reality of what we do.

People come to me when they’re not ready to have that conversation publicly.

• They’re exploring, but not ready to tell their team
• Their manager is in their network
• The timing just isn’t right internally
• Or they simply want to understand their options first

It doesn’t matter what the reason is. From my side, no CV gets shared, no conversations happen, nothing moves forward without your say-so. Simple as that.

But it’s not just candidates. It works both ways…

We’re often asked to run confidential searches as well. And there are a whole range of reasons for that, too.

Sometimes it’s internal sensitivity…

They may be replacing the current Treasurer, who hasn’t yet announced their move,

and they want to handle it properly.

Sometimes it’s external sensitivity… 

A Finance Director wants the new Head of Treasury agreed in advance so they can introduce them to banks and financing partners before anything is public.

Or sometimes it’s a planned change…

The incumbent may not even be aware yet, and the CFO wants to ensure a clean, immediate transition.

Then sometimes it’s just the hassle factor… 

They trust us, they’ve appointed us, and they don’t want 20 other recruiters calling them asking to work the role.

Would I like to advertise all of these roles?

Are you mad? Of course I would!

There are searches I’ve worked on that I’d have LOVED to have been able to shout about.

To name a few:

• Head of Treasury for AMS
• Treasurer for Blackstone Real Estate
• Treasurer for Ceres Life
• Treasury Director – Europe & Asia for Filtration Group
• Head of Capital Markets & Financing  & Corporate Finance & Treasury Manager for Porsche
• Petrochemicals Global Treasurer for SABIC
• Group Treasurer for Senior Plc
• Treasurer for Streamland Media
• Group Treasurer for Techtronic Industries

They were all fantastic roles that most treasurers would jump at. But when a client says:

“Mike, it’s a confidential search.”

I respect that, because that’s the job. That’s the trust.

So whether you’re a candidate quietly exploring, or a client needing to manage something carefully behind the scenes…

Confidentiality isn’t a nice extra. It’s the foundation.

And without it, none of this works.

Best regards,

Mike

P.S. If you want proper, honest, confidential career advice. Or you’re hiring and need things handled the right way, you know where I am.

Our fees range from 25 to 30% of base salary, with three flexible models to suit your search

So, you want to understand our fees and how we structure them?

No problem, read on.

Understanding Treasury Recruitment Fees

It depends, but let me explain.

We specialise exclusively in recruiting Treasury Professionals. It’s a niche market, and unlike generalist recruiters, we don’t fill hundreds of roles each month. We don’t benefit from the bulk volume that lets generalist agencies offer cheap rates, and honestly, that’s fine by us.

We invest time, research, and precision into every search to find the right person, not just the next available one. We’ve been recruiting Treasury talent globally for over 25 years, and we know what works.

That level of expertise, reach and focus comes at a cost. It also delivers real results.

Why We Don’t Compete on “Cheap” Fees

Here’s the conversation I have most weeks:

“Mike, the other agencies on our PSL work at 15%. You’re at 25 to 30%. Can you match them?”

The simple answer is no, and here’s why.

Quality Treasury recruitment takes time, insight and specialist knowledge. At 15%, you’ll likely get a few CVs from a database and a recruiter who can barely spell Treasury, let alone understand how to recruit one.

So go ahead, give it to your cheaper agencies first. They might get lucky. But more often, after 6 to 8 weeks there’s no result, and that’s when I get the call:

“Mike, we’ve been searching for weeks with no success. Can you take this on?”

Of course we can. But by that point, the market is what I’d call scorched earth. A series of generalist recruiters have blanketed it, mis-sold the role, and turned off the very Treasury Professionals you wanted to attract in the first place. The good ones have already decided you’re not serious about Treasury and tuned out.

Then comes the second part of the conversation: “Mike, can you match the cheaper fees too?”

No. We’re being asked to take 100% of the risk on a search that’s already been damaged, on a contingent basis, with no guarantee of revenue. That’s not a fair ask, and we won’t do it.

This is exactly why investing in a specialist partner from day one saves you both time and reputation.

Our Treasury Recruitment Fee Models

We believe in transparency and flexibility. Depending on how you want to work with us, there are three proven ways to structure your search:

1. Contingent Search, No Win, No Fee

Our contingent model is straightforward. You only pay if we successfully place a candidate.

Key details

• Typical fee: 25 to 30% of base salary
• 100% risk on us, if we don’t deliver, you don’t pay
• Fast access to our Treasury network and database

If we recruit you a Treasurer earning £200,000 or $300,000, the right person will pay for themselves many times over. Through bank fee savings, refinancing, a new Treasury Management System, or simply by motivating the team and getting more out of them in the first 12 months.

If they can’t deliver that kind of value, they’re not the right hire anyway.

2. Retained Search, Shared Commitment, Guaranteed Focus

This is our most effective partnership model. It gives you dedicated time, resources and accountability from day one.

How it works

• Exclusive engagement on your role
• Fees split into three equal stages:
  • 1/3 upfront (Retainer)
  • 1/3 on shortlist presentation
  • 1/3 on completion

The retainer funds the search itself, paid research, dedicated time, the proper hunt for both active and passive Treasury talent.

Will I make loads of profit from the retainer fee? No. We barely break even at that stage. The profit is in the completion fee, which means we’re motivated to actually finish the job.

Our record: 100% success rate on retained Treasury searches over the past 25 years.

Have we lost money on retained searches? Yes, occasionally. But we’ve never failed to deliver, and I don’t intend to start now.

3. Staged Search, The Best of Both Worlds

If you want something between a full retained and contingent approach, our Staged Search model is the perfect middle ground.

Structure

• 1/3 upfront retainer (covers research time)
• 2/3 on successful placement

It shares the risk between both parties. You get more focus and commitment than a purely contingent search, without the full exclusivity of a retained agreement.

If I don’t recruit the role, I lose money. So believe me, I’m incentivised to find you the right person. It’s a genuine win-win.

Which Treasury Recruitment Model Is Right for You?

Each approach has its benefits depending on your timelines, budget and hiring strategy.

• Contingent Search suits faster, lower-risk hiring
• Retained Search delivers the highest commitment, precision and success
• Staged Search offers flexibility if you’re testing the waters

If you’re not sure which model fits best, let’s have a conversation and tailor an approach to your needs.

Why Clients Choose The Treasury Recruitment Company

• 25+ years of global Treasury recruitment expertise
• Specialist network of Treasury Professionals worldwide
• 100% retained search success rate
• Trusted by major corporates and private equity firms across the UK, US and Europe

Our clients know that specialist expertise pays for itself. Better hires, faster placements, and stronger long-term results.

How much does treasury recruitment cost?

Treasury recruitment fees at The Treasury Recruitment Company typically range from 25 to 30% of the candidate’s base salary. The exact fee depends on the seniority of the role and the search model you choose: contingent, retained, or staged.

What’s the difference between contingent and retained search?

A contingent search is no win, no fee. You only pay if we successfully place a candidate, and we carry 100% of the risk. A retained search means you commit to working exclusively with us, paying in three equal stages (retainer, shortlist, completion). Retained search delivers higher commitment, dedicated research, and better results for senior or hard-to-fill roles.

Why are specialist treasury recruiters more expensive than generalists?

Specialist treasury recruiters invest in deep market knowledge, a dedicated treasury network built over many years, and the time required to find the right person rather than the next available CV. Generalist agencies recruit at volume and offer lower fees, but rarely understand the technical demands of treasury roles.

The cost of a wrong hire, or a prolonged search that damages your reputation in the market, far outweighs the difference in fee.

 How long does a treasury recruitment search take?

Most retained treasury searches complete within 8 to 12 weeks from start to placement, depending on the seniority of the role and the geographic market. Contingent searches can be faster for more common roles, but timelines vary based on candidate availability.

Next Steps

If you’re hiring in Treasury, let’s chat. We’ll walk you through each model and help you choose the best structure for your next search.

More resources for employers:

• Check Out Our Global Treasury Salary Survey – benchmark compensation by level and region
• Hire Treasury Talent – explore our services and success stories
• Treasury Career Corner Podcast – hear directly from Treasury leaders we’ve placed and partnered with

Or simply book a 15-minute consultation with Mike Richards to discuss your next hire – email Mike@TreasuryRecruitment.com

Let’s grab a coffee and chat.

A few years ago, I was working with a company recruiting for a senior treasury role.

It looked great – a proper opportunity for someone to come in and make a difference.

So, we got to work and produced three very strong candidates.

Everything was looking great…

Then the company shared their proposed interview process.

First step: a numerical test, then a verbal reasoning test, followed by a psychometric assessment…

Then a 45-minute interview with HR.

If they passed that, then they might get to Round 2 and meet the Treasurer and maybe some team members.

If they passed BOTH of those, then they might get to meet the CFO at Round 3!

It was adding up to about three hours across multiple stages before the candidate had even managed to work out if they wanted to work there.

Bear in mind that these weren’t graduates. They were senior treasury professionals – people who already do demanding jobs.

This is where a lot of hiring processes go wrong.

Employers still behave as if candidates should feel grateful just to be considered.

But that’s not how the market works anymore.

Most treasury professionals aren’t sitting at home waiting for someone to offer them a new job. 

They’re already in good roles, delivering value for their businesses.

They’re not desperate to leave.

So when they see a job advert, the first question isn’t “How do I pass their interview process?”

It’s usually “Why would I work there?”

That’s where the shift needs to happen.

Advertising a role is NOT the same as attracting candidates!

Both words start with “A”, but that’s where the similarity ends.

You can advertise a job all day long, but that doesn’t mean the right people will come running.

Attraction is different.

It means answering the questions that are already in a candidate’s mind:

• Why did the previous person leave?
• How will this help my career move forward?
• What’s the culture like?
• Who would I be working with?

If those questions aren’t clear, the best candidates quickly move on.

And then there’s the other issue: asking candidates to jump through hoops before they’ve even decided if they like you!

I often say to my clients that recruitment is a bit like dating. You don’t start the evening by asking someone to complete a personality test and a maths exam. At least buy them a drink first.

In recruitment terms, that means having a conversation, letting candidates meet the hiring manager early, letting them understand the business and ask questions.

Only once they’re interested does the deeper assessment make sense.

Because what you’re really building is the same thing every strong hiring process needs…

Know. Like. Trust.

First, they get to know the company.

Then they (hopefully) start to like what they see – the people, the opportunity, the direction of the business.

Finally, they trust that joining your organisation is the right move for the next stage of their career.

That’s when someone commits.

In the example I mentioned at the start of this newsletter, I eventually persuaded the client to change the process.

Instead of testing candidates immediately, the first stage became a relaxed conversation over coffee with the hiring manager.

They were then able to set the scene, explain why this was a key hire and why they felt that they needed to add the screening stage at Stage 2, and they gained ‘buy-in’ from the candidates as they could understand why it was needed. Then, in the end, they actually wanted to progress.

The candidates understood the opportunity and could get excited about it; the rest of the process followed naturally.

The role was offered and accepted.

Because the company realised something important…

When you’re recruiting today, it’s not about YOU anymore. It’s about THEM.

Best regards,

Mike

I recently connected with Pat Culkin, Head of the US Association of Financial Professionals.

During our conversation, he asked me a simple question, but it caught me off guard.

He said, “So… are you a recruiter, Mike?”

It made me stop because, to myself, it was obvious.

I was about to reply, “Of course!”

But he followed by saying he was unsure because he’d seen me in:

• The Treasury Career Corner Podcast
• Treasury Career Corner LIVE events
• The Treasury Salary Survey
• Roundtables and community discussions
• And on top of that… treasury recruitment!

So then I understood why he was asking.

And to anyone who’s wondered the same, yes. First and foremost, I’m a treasury recruiter.

But there’s a reason I do everything else…

Because, to me, there’s nothing worse than the classic recruiter approach I like to call “the Ghostbuster”.

They phone you up and say: “Hello, got any jobs?

“If you do, call me!”

That’s it.

No insight. No advice. No value.

Those recruiters are hardly what you’d call a consultant.

And when you consider that most treasury professionals change jobs every 3 to 5 years, if you only ever hear from a recruiter when they want a job brief, you should ask yourself…

What value have they actually added in the years between those conversations?

That’s why we’ve built what I call our ecosystem.

Everything we do is designed to support treasury professionals, not just fill jobs.

That includes:

• The Treasury Career Corner Podcast
• The Treasury Salary Survey
• Treasury Career Corner LIVE events
• And smaller, more focused roundtables where treasurers can speak openly with peers

All of these things exist for one reason: to help the treasury community.

Yes, I earn a living from recruitment, but I believe you earn that opportunity by adding value first.

So yes, I am a recruiter.

And if you’ve got a job, you certainly can call me (call any of the Ghostbusters out there at your own risk!).

But my goal has always been much bigger than that.

That’s why we’re always continuing to build on that ecosystem…

More events. More roundtables.  And more ways for treasury professionals to learn from each other.

Because when the treasury community grows stronger, everyone wins.

Best regards,

Mike

We’re coming up to that time of year again. April approaches, companies start doing their annual reviews, and treasury professionals begin thinking about pay.

And I see the same mistakes happen again and again…

Here’s the first one:

Someone walks into their manager’s office and says, “I want a pay rise.”

Starting with that question is the fastest way to end the conversation.

Your salary is there to pay you for doing your job.

You are paid a salary for turning up each day.

Managing the cash, running the liquidity, handling the FX exposure, dealing with the banks, and delivering the reporting, etc.

That’s the basic duties of your role.

If the conversation starts with “I want a pay rise”, the natural response from a manager is simple:

“Why?”

And they would be completely within their rights to follow up with:

“What have you done to deserve one?”

That’s where lots of people I chat to get stuck.

If you can’t say where you’ve gone above and beyond your job and MADE A DIFFERENCE, then honestly, you shouldn’t be getting a pay rise.

Before you even ask the question to your manager, answer these questions:

• Have you saved the company money?
• Have you delivered a major project?
• Have you implemented a new treasury system?
• Have you reduced costs or streamlined processes?

If you’ve done something that materially improved the business, that should be your starting point.

For example, if you implemented a treasury management system that reduced manual work and effectively replaced three or four full-time roles, that’s real value.

You’ve saved the company money.

Start with that. Now the pay discussion becomes logical rather than emotional.

Another mistake people make is leading with market data, like our salary survey.

Yes, that data is there to help you. But that doesn’t mean you should walk in and say:

“Mike’s salary survey says I should be paid £80,000.”

Again, that’s the wrong order. The sequence should be:

1. Give evidence for the value you’ve delivered
2. Explain how your role has grown
3. Then benchmark the salary

The salary survey is the final piece of the puzzle. 

It should support your case, not be the entire basis of it.

So, with all this considered, the reality is that not everyone will deserve a pay rise this April.

But every once in a while, I come across someone who is genuinely underpaid…

I’ll look at their CV and be impressed, ask what they earn, and almost fall off my chair knowing that I could get them a 30% pay rise tomorrow.

Why does that happen?

Often, because they’ve never benchmarked themselves. They’ve stayed in the same role for years, doing great work, but never tested their market value.

And you don’t have to leave your job to understand your value.

You can look at a salary survey to benchmark it.

You can talk to peers at conferences.

Compare responsibilities.

Sometimes two people are doing almost identical roles, and one of them is earning £10k to £20k more. The only difference between them is that one of them asked around.

To close, I just want to say that there’s a final point worth remembering:

Salary isn’t the whole story.

When we analyse the data from our treasury salary survey, pay is seldom why people leave a job.

It’s a factor, yes. But it’s not the biggest one.

What you tend to see is:

• Lack of progression
• Frustration in the role
• Poor leadership
• Limited development opportunities

Salary sits somewhere in the mix, but it’s never the whole story.

So, if your pay review is coming up, here’s a simple rule:

Don’t walk into the room asking for a pay rise. Go in prepared to explain the value you’ve created.

If you can clearly show how you’ve improved the business, saved money, or delivered meaningful change, the pay conversation becomes much easier.

And if you’re not sure where your salary sits in the market, that’s exactly why we produce the Treasury Salary Survey twice a year.

It’s there to give you the data to support the conversation. But ONLY once you’ve made the case.

Best regards,

Mike

P.S. Have you benchmarked your salary yet? Click here to see where you stand.

The simplest way to explain it;

• an Assistant Treasurer assists, whereas
• a Deputy Treasurer deputises

But let me explain more!

The Assistant Treasurer

The Assistant Treasurer role tends to feature in larger organisations.

In some businesses there can even be 2 Assistant Treasurers — one might focus on Front Office activity and supervise the operations team whilst the other oversees treasury controls and the Middle and Back Office functions.

An Assistant Treasurer role is hands-on with strategic touchpoints.

On any given day, an Assistant Treasurer might be setting FX and interest rate strategy, executing funding and deals, managing risk exposures, handling intercompany loan documentation, running rolling cash flow forecasts, or making sure treasury activity stays compliant with group policies.

Crucially, an Assistant Treasurer is expected to refer many major decisions up the chain to the Group Treasurer.

They are senior, trusted operators but they are not the Deputy.

The Deputy Treasurer

The Deputy Treasurer is a different proposition. Where there may be two Assistant Treasurers in a large business, there is usually one Deputy.

They are the defined second in charge and the deputy to the Group Treasurer.

Often the most important distinction is authority: a Deputy Treasurer carries the same sign-off capability as the Group Treasurer and is expected to act in their stead when required to do so.

The remit is correspondingly broad.

A Deputy Treasurer takes overall responsibility for daily treasury operations, oversees the Treasury Management System, helps arrange and implement business debt across bank and debt capital markets, ensures financial risk is identified and mitigated, manages the Group’s liquidity position, maintains key banking relationships and leads the wider treasury team.

They oversee front, middle and back-office activity rather than sitting within one of them.

How to Tell Them Apart

Job titles across treasury can be misleading.

A Treasury Manager in a mid-sized business may be doing the work of an Assistant Treasurer elsewhere, and an Assistant Treasurer in a smaller organisation may effectively be operating as a Deputy.

The most reliable way to assess seniority is to look past the title and examine three things:

• The scope of decisions the person can sign off on
• The breadth of the function they oversee
• The reporting line into the Group Treasurer

As a simple rule of thumb.

• an Assistant Treasurer runs a significant piece of the treasury function and escalates major decisions upwards
• a Deputy Treasurer is empowered to make those decisions themselves.

Why This Matters

For hiring managers, getting this right affects everything from the brief to the calibre of candidate you attract.

Briefing a search for an Assistant Treasurer when the role genuinely needs a Deputy will lead to mismatched expectations on both sides.

For treasury professionals, understanding where you sit on this ladder and what the next step actually looks like is key when planning you next step in your treasury career.

Both roles are critical to a well-run treasury function.

The Assistant Treasurer brings depth and execution across a specific remit.

The Deputy Treasurer brings authority and breadth across the whole function.

Knowing which one you need or which one you are – is the first step to making the right hire or the right move.

If you are recruiting for a senior treasury role or exploring your next career step, we would be delighted to help.

Most people take part in our salary survey for only one reason.

They take it because they’re thinking:

“Am I underpaid?”

And fair enough. That’s exactly what it’s there for.

And with over 1,700+ treasury professionals in the dataset now, we can give a pretty accurate answer to that.

But once you get past the numbers…

That’s where it gets interesting.

Because to me, the real insight isn’t what people are paid, it’s how they feel about their roles, and treasury in general.

When you dig into the data, you start to see how the treasury profession is really looking right now.

So, I wanted to share a few examples and key takeaways directly from our latest salary survey results.

Hopefully, like me, you’ll find them pretty eye-opening.

Let’s start.

The Data

Across the entire survey – in the UK, USA, and Europe – roughly 1 in 4 treasury professionals are unhappy with their salary (and in Europe, that actually rises to over 1 in 3).

Now, you might think that’s the big issue, but it’s not.

Because when we look at WHY people are unhappy, salary isn’t actually the main driver.

The number one issue?

Lack of progression.

Not pay. Not bonus. Progression.

And that tells you a lot.

Then we look at something else…

Are people feeling valued in their treasury roles?

Again, about 1 in 5 treasury professionals across the board say they don’t feel valued by their manager.

That might seem like a small fraction, but to me, it’s a big number.

Because you can fix salary over time. But it’s much harder to fix how someone feels about their role day to day.

And when we look at what actually makes people happy in their roles, it’s not surprising:

1. A good boss
2. Good work-life balance
3. And varied, meaningful work

Simple things. But when those aren’t there, that’s when people start looking elsewhere.

A stalled market, not a weak one

If you just looked at hiring volumes, you might think the market has slowed.

It has, but not because demand has disappeared.

And when you combine that with what we’re seeing in the survey – people not progressing or feeling recognised – you start to understand why the market feels quieter.

I’ve talked about it before, but treasury professionals are being more selective, cautious, and more risk-aware.

Many were ready to move but have chosen to wait.

So this isn’t a weak market, it’s a delayed one.

The talent you don’t see

One of the biggest myths in treasury recruitment is that the best candidates are applying for jobs.

They’re not.

The strongest treasury professionals are busy delivering value, leading projects, and influencing decisions.

They’re also the ones who are most likely to feel:

“I’m doing well… but what’s next?”

And if they can’t answer that question internally, that’s when they start to move.

And again, that’s not because of salary. They just want the opportunity to progress.

The technical bar is rising

The fundamentals of treasury haven’t changed.

Cash, liquidity, FX, funding. They all still matter, of course.

But what companies expect from their corporate treasury team has shifted.

It’s no longer enough to produce the numbers.

You need to explain them. Challenge them. Use them to influence decisions.

There’s a growing expectation to partner across businesses, and I’m seeing a lot more roles blending treasury with FP&A, data, and systems, plus more visibility at senior levels.

But there’s one real differentiator…

The ability to translate that technical work into commercial impact.

AI: Is it really impacting, or just noise?

AI is already reshaping how treasury teams work.

It’s removing manual tasks. Improving efficiency. Freeing up time.

But it’s also creating noise…

I’m seeing applications that all sound the same. Job descriptions are asking for things hiring managers can’t properly assess. And generally, trust instantly drops whenever something feels overly AI-generated.

I think the reality is simple…

AI will enhance treasury roles, but it won’t replace judgment, relationships, or experience.

Those are still the things that matter most.

To close

I want to say a huge thank you to the 1,700+ treasury professionals who took part in our salary survey.

Your input gives us a true, unfiltered view of the market. And the more voices we have, the clearer that picture becomes.

The reason behind it all is to help YOU. So please use the salary survey to benchmark your pay.

Understand where you sit and know your value.

But don’t stop there…

Also look at the bigger picture:

Are you progressing?

Do you feel valued?

Are you doing work that actually challenges you?

Because that’s what really determines whether you stay or start looking.

Best regards,

Mike

P.S. Please invite your colleagues to join the survey. The more responses we have, the stronger and more valuable the insights for everyone in the profession.

And if you haven’t already filled it out yourself, what are you waiting for?!

Click here to enter the salary survey and get your input included in the next lot of results.

Over the next 8 weeks, I’ll be travelling 21,000 miles to make sure of it.

Let me explain…

I had a different newsletter planned for today. But over Easter, I stopped and reflected…

In 4 days’ time, I will get on a plane to host my next Treasury Career Corner Podcast LIVE panel at TEXPO, in Dallas, Texas.

A week later, I’m back.

8 days after that, I’ll head to the West coast of the US.

In May it’s Dublin. Then Amsterdam. Then London.

That’s a lot of air miles. But it’s worth it.

When I was thinking about this it reminded me of a discussion I had with Jim, a senior treasury professional and a great friend to the business, who I caught up with when I was last speaking at the Windy City Summit Conference in Chicago.

Jim came up to me and said: “Mike, you seem to be everywhere at the moment!”

I said, “I’m not everywhere… I’m just where you are. I want to be here in the room with you.”

He smiled and said: “That makes sense. You do all this travel so you’re here with us. You’re not just talking the talk, you’re walking the walk.”

Early in my career, I used to think getting on planes all the time would be brilliant. Then you hit your third trip of the year… your third airline meal… and you realise it’s not quite as glamorous as you imagined.

So, what makes it worth it?

Being in the room with treasury professionals.

Here’s the reality…

I see people talking about how important it is to network with treasury professionals.

Recently, one of my competitors said exactly that.

But then in the next breath they told me they hadn’t met a single treasury professional face-to-face in the past 4 months.

That’s not networking. That’s talking about networking.

But credibility comes from showing up, not from sitting in your home office!

I did get asked recently whether I thought I was spreading myself too thin?

No, I replied. I’m backed by a great team.

My job is to be where you are.

Meeting you. Talking to you. Understanding what’s going on.

Right now, that means:

• I’m working on roles in Texas, so I need to be in Texas.
• I’ve just started recruiting a new role position in Atlanta. So, when I head to KYRIBA LIVE on the West Coast in 3 weeks’ time I will be meeting candidates who are based in Atlanta.
• Plus, the treasury professionals who I’m meeting over the next 3 weeks are often open to relocating for the right role.

This is a link to the position I’m recruiting in Atlanta, GA – CLICK HERE

These aren’t LinkedIn conversations. They’re real conversations, face-to-face.

Here’s what the next 8 weeks looks like

• TEXPO, Dallas, Texas: 750+ treasury professionals
• KyribaLive, West Coast, USA: 900+ treasury and finance leaders
• NeuGroup West Coast, USA: 100+ treasury professionals
• Dublin: 70+
• Amsterdam: 80+
• London: 100+

That’s over 2,000 treasury professionals. In 8 weeks. In the room.

And yes, there’s a cost to that…

• UK Dallas return: ~9,500 miles
• UK West Coast (US) return: ~10,800 miles
• UK Dublin return: ~900 miles
• UK Amsterdam return: ~650 miles

That’s over 21,000 miles travelled. Back and forth. Then back again.

But I’m happy to do it.

Because it let’s me see what’s happening in treasury. I hear what’s really going on, what’s keeping you up at night, where your team is stretched, the challenges you’re facing when hiring or looking for your next role.

And rather than just listen, it let’s me help and advise. I can connect you to opportunities, and to the people you need in your team.

Plus, that’s how I hear about roles as well. Because I’m there. In the conversation.

We talk about your treasury career, where you are now, what’s missing, and where you want to get to.

And I don’t only meet with candidates; if you’re someone who’s hiring, I can find out what challenges you’re seeing, who you’re really looking for, and what you need to do to attract the right talent.

I can find out ALL of this because I’m sitting with treasury professionals all day, every day, in the same room, having the conversations others aren’t part of.

So when people ask why I keep getting on planes – why I’m spending time in rooms with 50, 80, 100 treasury professionals at a time…

It’s simple.

This is where I do my best work. This is where I understand you.

And honestly, it’s my happy place.

Best regards,

Mike

P.S. If you’re coming to one of the upcoming events, come to my sessions. Come and find me. Let’s grab a coffee or a beer. Let’s have a proper chat about your treasury career and how I can help you or your team.

10 years ago, I wrote 2 articles called ‘The Do’s and Don’ts of Sending Me Your CV’.

They were blunt. Slightly ranty in places. And very clear.

They also didn’t land…

A decade later, people are still sending me any old rubbish.

So I thought I’d try again with a refreshed version for 2026, and a few new additions that didn’t exist back then.

Let’s start with the one that refuses to die:

DON’T send me your CV if you’re copying in 10 other recruiters and opening with “Dear Everyone”.

That email tells me you’re looking for any job, anywhere, no thought behind it.

Treasury careers don’t progress like that.

DO send me your CV if you want a proper conversation about the next step in your career…

Send your CV directly, explain why you’re reaching out, and tell me what you’re actually looking for. Or better yet, go that step further…

Call Me! 

Give me a buzz, we can have a chat.

The next one is still painfully common…

DON’T send me your CV if it’s completely generic, along with a generic cover letter.

How do you know it’s generic?

If I can lift your opening paragraph and paste it onto someone else’s CV without changing a word.

Overused phrases like “motivated”, “flexible”, “team player” have been meaningless for at least twenty years.

They tell me nothing about how you operate in treasury or what problems you’ve solved.

Which brings me to personal statements…

DON’T send me your CV with a personal statement.

I hated them ten years ago. I still hate them now.

The amount I read “I am a flexible, motivated individual who has great attention to detail” is genuinely shocking.

It’s even more shocking when I see detail spelt detal…

Personal statements split opinion down the middle. Some readers tolerate them. Others bin the CV immediately. So that’s not a risk worth taking.

THIS IS WHAT YOUR RESUME IS THERE FOR……

It’s been my experience that whilst 50% of your readership don’t mind a Personal Statement, 50% dislike or in many cases hate it!

Great let’s flip a coin!

Heads   they think I’m OK.

Tails    I’m in the “NO” pile of paperwork

Greatttt, you’ve applied for 10 jobs in the past 3 months.

Now you know why 5 never called you for interview.

Also please note I don’t think I have ever had a client ever say.

“Mike I wish the candidate had told me a bit more about some of their generalised attributes and why they were an all-round good person!”

Your resume is there to tell me your story

DO send me your CV with a short, specific summary that makes it clear why you’re relevant to this role. Not who you are in general, but how you will solve the problem in front of the hiring manager.

Another one that hasn’t changed: tailoring.

DON’T send me your CV if you are applying for a specific role and it isn’t tailored to a role…

If you haven’t read the job description and adjusted your CV to reflect what the role actually needs, it shows.

DO send me your CV if you have read the job advert and tailored your CV to it.

Highlight where:

• Your experience relates to the position
• Your achievements intersect with the role
• You are a match to the role!

The person reading your CV wants to find the right person for the role – make it easy for them to say yes to you!

Now for 2026 onwards…

AI.

Used properly, AI can be genuinely helpful.

I’ve seen candidates use it well to review structure, tighten language, check whether their CV actually reflects what a role is asking for.

They add their CV (without personal address and contact info, of course!) and ask AI to tell them to match their CV to the role and create a list of the top 3 areas where they align. It makes it easy for the reviewer to say yes and send them through to the next round.

But used badly, it’s obvious within seconds.

DON’T send me your CV if it reads like it was written entirely by AI.

You might think it’s “polished”, but more likely it’s filled with empty language and no real substance. It gets ignored just as fast as a bad cover letter.

AI should help you clarify your experience, not invent it or smooth it into something generic.

And one important rule once again if you are using AI: don’t upload anything you wouldn’t be comfortable putting on a public noticeboard.

Strip out your contact info and confidential information. If you wouldn’t hand it to a stranger, don’t feed it into a system you don’t control.

Now, to finish up, a couple of quick-fire irritations while I’m on the topic:

• Seventeen-page CVs still land in my inbox. War and Peace has already been written. Your CV doesn’t need a sequel.
• Spelling still matters. Comb through; just hitting spellcheck isn’t always enough.
• Listing “Microsoft Office” as a skill in a senior treasury CV does you absolutely no favours. In treasury, it’s assumed. Calling it out is like saying you know how to open an email.
• If you don’t have the right to work where the role is based, or you’re applying for areas we don’t cover, no amount of clever wording will fix that.

The CVs that stand out haven’t really changed much in ten years. They’re clear. They’re targeted. They show impact. And they respect the reader’s time.

I’m still here to help people move their treasury careers forward. That part hasn’t changed either.

But if you’re going to send me your CV in 2026, please at least give it a fighting chance before you hit send.

Best regards,

Mike

P.S. If you want a look at the kind of CV I’d be happy to see land on my desk, we’ve got CV templates for six different treasury roles you can access for FREE here.

If treasury recruitment has felt slow, hesitant, even a bit stuck, you’re not imagining it.

But I don’t think it’s been a hiring crisis. It’s been a waiting game.

To set the scene…

2025 was brutal. Tariffs, trade wars, uncertainty everywhere. And then AI suddenly started appearing in every conversation.

2 years ago, most people didn’t know AI was even on the horizon!

Now we’re all trying to work out how to use it on top of an already demanding day job.

Layer that on top of treasury responsibilities, you can see why people haven’t rushed to move companies.

Remember, Treasurers are NOT risk-averse BUT they are risk-aware!

They’re looking at the market and thinking the waters are choppy, the workload is heavy, and I’ve got a lot of responsibility right now…

This is not the moment to move roles.

So, they wait until things settle down, until they’ve got a bit more control, the markets are more settled and calm…

Then they’ll be able to properly commit to a job search.

That’s what’s happening. Many professionals who were open to a move have stayed put. 

They are passively looking, keeping an ear to the ground, but not actively pushing forward. 

And that creates a strange dynamic from the outside…

It starts to look like there’s no talent. No movement. No one applying.

Recruitment within Treasury relies upon treasury talent moving roles.

Then there is a domino effect.

One person moves, an opening is created, someone is promoted then a gap opens behind them, and so on…

BUT

Yes! That’s a big BUT – if the first domino doesn’t fall, everything behind remains static.

I’ve seen this first-hand on some of the senior campaigns we ran last year:

When a great role came to market, there was an avalanche of responses, and not just from random candidates – there were some great treasury professionals desperate to develop their treasury careers!

There was so much pent up demand from treasury professionals to move positions – they were fed up and wanted a move, no matter where.

There’s a lot of pent-up frustration when the market isn’t fluid.

But the key point to remember is:

The talent hasn’t gone away, it’s just waiting.

Many treasurers have been in their roles for 5, 8, even 10 years.

They’ve done what they set out to do, but they’re cautious about making the wrong move in an uncertain environment…

So, they’re holding their ground, doing their jobs, and watching for something that genuinely moves their career forward.

That’s why hiring has felt harder.

Now the dust is settling, it feels a little bit more open again…

I’m hearing more people say they’re willing to entertain the right opportunity if it comes along.

Often, the right role isn’t always obvious until you actually see it. 

Many people don’t know they’re interested until a conversation starts and they realise it’s a challenge they hadn’t previously considered.

So if you’re a candidate, there’s no need to force a move just because the calendar says you should. But staying close to the market is still important.

If you’re hiring, it’s worth remembering that this hasn’t been a shortage of talent. It’s been a confidence and timing issue. The right people are there, they’ve just been waiting for the right moment. It’s been a bit of a waiting game.

And we’re always here if you need advice!

Best regards,

Mike

P.S. If you’re in that “waiting” phase and you want advice, but unsure whether now’s the right time – drop me a message, let me know what you’re holding out for.

I might be able to find it for you!