STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD
Muhannad Abdeljawad tells us about his passion for cash management and how he reached his current position as Vice President - Global Liquidity & Cash Management at HSBC.
What does your current role entail?
My current role is to help companies enhance their treasury departments by discussing strategic initiatives, understanding their challenges and applying innovative ideas. These ideas can help in optimising company’s liquidity, enhance control, improve visibility and user experience. My goal is to support treasurers in having the right amount of money, in the right location, at the right time, in the right currency with the most accurate information. Ultimately, we are working towards achieving Straight-Through-Processing (STP) payments that can improve efficiency, reduce data entry error rate and fraud risk. Although I am familiar with Cash Management as this is what I do for a living, qualifying in AwardCMF allowed me to contextualise my existing knowledge and to solidify my experience in treasury.
How did you end up in a career in treasury/finance?
Today, treasury and finance are considered the backbone of any business, besides that, they develop on a daily basis. The rapid growth is fuelled by innovation which has always been of interest to me. The space of liquidity and cash management is fast enough to the point that every couple of months a new solution comes out to light. The treasury industry is in a constant state of evolution, it provides enough stimulation to keep everyone busy!
Why did you take this ACT qualification? What was your main objective?
The main objective was to intertwine my treasury experience with a reputable qualification that supports my career progression, sharpens my knowledge, and helps me stand out from the crowd. Even though I had been discussing cash management on a day-to-day basis, the Award in Cash Management Fundamentals qualification sharpened my understanding of the topic, providing a solid foundation on which existing knowledge was consolidated. Having the credentials of AwardCMF next to my name assures the audience I am speaking to, that I am a certified professional in the cash management domain.
Which specific areas of your job role will this qualification support?
The AwardCMF is pretty much relevant to every single topic I discuss daily. In other words, a certificate that equipped me with solid knowledge to be confident in speaking about treasury solutions in any forum.
Are there particular areas of treasury/finance that this qualification helped you understand even better?
Yes - especially about the collections and payments in other jurisdictions such as North America and Asia. When speaking to global companies, treasurers need to understand and relate how cash management can add value across their network. Each continent has its own capabilities and availability of products for payments whether outwards or inwards. Information on these areas supports treasurers in conducting more fruitful discussions and driving business.
What are the benefits of having professional qualifications to add to your CV/résumé?
It helps me to be a more competitive candidate when applying to relevant vacancies, plus it increases my chances to be shortlisted in a very competitive market.
What happens next in your career and how has this qualification helped?
I am planning on growing more within the world of treasury and cash management as it is the future not only in banking but also in renowned companies.