Interview
Talk to the treasurer
Talk to the Treasurer: Emile Raymakers
Short bibliography
As a Dutch national, I have always worked for multinational companies, with steadily increasing responsibilities. I live in Zeist with my family of 6 (including myself and our dog), and I have worked in many locations so far. I very much enjoy our small family moments together, if I am not doing any of the sports that I like, such as skiing, field hockey, Crossfit or cycling.
How did you get into the Treasury profession?
There is no typical way into Treasury: I hold a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management and during my studies in Los Angeles, I was captivated by the extra Finance classes I took.
After my studies, I joined ING as a management trainee in the ING Talent Program Corporate Banking. After some internships and two commercial roles in the Wholesale bank, I wondered how much impact I could make at a (then very) large financial institution. I ended up with Philips Corporate Treasury, in their ‘internal bank’ for all group companies, managing a team as well as billions of liquidities during the financial crisis.
Subsequently, at Nutreco, I further educated myself by following the Treasury Management and Corporate Finance (RT) program at the Vrije Universiteit (while doing M&A, (re)financing of foreign subs, a public-to-private process, etc).
At Arcadis, a broad range of tasks and responsibilities for a corporate Treasury-position were entrusted to me, while the CFO departed during the first COVID-pandemic. At VolkerWessels, servicing our decentralised businesses and having an influential position within the company, proved to be key success factors.
So, having worked in the Treasury-domain now for 14 years, while my responsibilities have continuously increased, no Treasury function (or company) is the same – which I think is the beauty of this profession! By the way, there is also no typical way out of Treasury 😉
What are your main treasury tasks?
Business-minded financial leadership. Manager of the team. Responsible for financing of the group, project financing, liquidity management, guarantee management, interest rate risk management etc.
What appeals to you about treasury?
The breadth and diversity of the challenges at hand. From complex M&A and divestments / carve-outs, to nitty-gritty payment authorisation matrices. From stakeholder management of a panel of LMA-lawyers, to supporting your board on macro-economic outlooks. From managing a team, to becoming a leader in the Finance function. From being able to talk to IT, Legal, FP&A Tax and Accounting, to negotiating with bankers, traders, sureties and lawyers. From making long-terms plans, to never executing that agenda due to ever-changing priorities. From pension risk management on DB-schemes, to KYC questionnaires from banks. From being shoulder-to-shoulder with colleagues on specific topics, to addressing their cash forecasting accuracy. This list goes on forever.
What challenge in your treasury career has impressed you most?
Stepping in as co-CFO ad interim during the COVID-pandemic, while having very challenging circumstances at home.
Why is Treasury such an interesting field?
The breadth and depth of the topics you encounter. The number of internal and external stakeholders. The strategic relevance of the function, especially in transition or during times of crisis. The trust you and your team receive to ensure everything runs smoothly. The mindset of servicing your businesses by solving problems that do not make them any money, but could cost them dearly if poorly managed.