Unrelenting global volatility is ushering in a new era of influence for corporate treasurers as companies turn to them in search of new avenues for growth, according to the new EY 2025 DNA of the Treasurer report.
The survey, which examines the views of more than 1,200 treasurers and senior finance leaders around the world, reveals that most across the profession are expecting large-scale changes to their roles, driven by their organizations’ need to adapt and seize new growth opportunities in a rapidly evolving landscape.
More than eight in 10 treasurers who took part in the survey (83%) say they expect their roles to transform by 2030 – a view that’s backed up by the vast majority of CFOs (84%) who believe that treasurers’ roles will place much more emphasis on value creation and supporting business growth, over the coming years, for example by unlocking additional cash, providing strategic insights, collaborating on enterprise-wide projects and developing finance talent.
Casey Kernan, EY Americas Treasury Leader, Financial Accounting Advisory Services, says: “Treasurers increasingly have a mandate to manage risk, optimize liquidity and support strategic decision-making — a far broader remit than in the past. But many are still not fully empowered to deliver on their potential. Closing this gap means giving treasurers the tools to act not just as operators, but as strategic partners, equipped with the insights, technologies and visibility needed to drive long-term value.”
Barriers to value creation
The changing view of treasurers’ future responsibilities is being driven in large part by the expectations of CFOs within their companies – more than eight in 10 CFOs (84%) say they already expect treasurers to identify new opportunities to create value.
However, the findings show that little over half of treasurers (52%) already see themselves as value creators, and that many see barriers to value creation including managing relationships with banks and investors (33%), operational responsibilities (33%) and a lack of time for building necessary skills (32%).
There are also clear signs of a disconnect between treasurers’ current capabilities and their value creating potential. Slightly more than one quarter (27%) say they feel very confident that their financial risk management strategies are improving company decision-making and slightly less than one-third (29%) say they have full responsibility over working capital and cashflow.
Making use of technology
Despite these clear challenges, treasurers are leading the way with their use of technology. Seven in 10 (70%) are using artificial intelligence (AI) in daily operations and little more than eight in 10 (82%) are using data analytics and visualization tools. Close to one in three (30%) say that data and technology are the main tools they use to create value, while one-quarter (25%) report that it is building a culture of innovation.
The survey also shows that there is some recognition of the need to build skills and grow talent. Just 57% of treasurers are confident they have the skills to become a key player in value creation and a little more than one-quarter (26%) say that talent development is one of the main drivers of value for the Treasury function.
However, there are some respects in which treasurers may be underestimating the work they need to do in order to prepare for the inevitable shift – more than one-quarter of CFOs (28%) believe that treasurers need more leadership skills, but only 18% of treasurers see this as a priority.
Francois Holzman, EY Global Treasury, Commodities and Finance Specialism Services Leader, said: “With the right support, treasurers can be catalysts for change across the organizations in which they work. CFOs have an important role to play here – treasury functions that have the backing and empowerment of the CFO will be the ones that make their mark as true innovators and drivers of strategic growth in an increasingly competitive landscape.”
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