From a Blank Sheet: How to Set Up a Treasury Function from Scratch and Lead with Confidence

What does it take to rise through the ranks in treasury - from debt collection to leading the treasury function of a global engineering group?

In this episode, we dive into the real, unfiltered treasury career journey of Emma Hayward, Group Treasurer of Dowlais Group plc, covering everything from early uncertainty to leading high-stakes corporate transformations.

This week on the Treasury Career Corner, host Mike Richards sits down with Emma Hayward, Group Treasurer of Dowlais Group plc, a global engineering firm operating in the automotive sector.

Emma shares her unconventional journey into treasury, lessons from working at industry giants like Merck and Tesco, and what it's really like to build a treasury team from scratch during a corporate demerger.

Main topics discussed:

• Emma’s early steps in finance, banking, and her unexpected move into treasury
• Working in global treasury operations at a pharmaceutical company
• Life inside Tesco’s treasury team pre and post-financial crisis
• How Emma helped transform treasury’s role to be more strategic and integrated with commercial functions
• Executing Tesco’s first commodity trade and managing FX risk for thousands of products
• Leading during financial uncertainty and a corporate credit downgrade
• Setting up a treasury function from scratch during a spin-off
• The massive task of launching Dowlais Group’s treasury operations post-demerger
• Emma’s leadership principles and how she manages pressure and workload
• Advice on career growth, finding the right fit, and making strategic career decisions

You can connect with Emma Hayward on LinkedIn.

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