The explosive rise in cross-border payments driven by the evolution in e-commerce and new trade corridors has created a new payments landscape characterised by innovations like QR-based payments, FX conversion and multi-currency payments, mobile wallets and account validation. Standard Chartered’s Anand Natarajan and Michael Oskar Kleinsteuber explain the technological and regulatory changes supporting and shaping cross-border payments.

Siemens, a global leading technology company, is using Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to make payments in dollars and euros. Blockchain is typically associated with bitcoin, but treasury teams can use it to make payments in traditional currencies and harness the benefits or real time payments, programmability and tokenization.

In our final chapter of this year's Women in Treasury tour, the US Forum took place on 12th October in New York. This featured a sponsored welcome reception and inspiring fireside chat with IFC, followed by an awards presentation celebrating our 2024 Within Award winners for The Americas. In the panel discussion, four industry experts shared their career journeys and discussed some of the key issues surrounding mental health, culture and personal power.

In September, treasury professionals from across the region gathered for the annual Women in Treasury EMEA Forum to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion and celebrate our 2024 Within Award winners. In the panel discussion, four industry experts share their experiences and discuss the challenge of difficult leadership and dealing with discrimination.

AI is set to transform transaction banking staples including cash and liquidity management and trade finance. The best place for treasury to start harnessing the advantages is developing a map of treasury workflows and developing a data strategy, say Standard Chartered’s transaction banking sales team, Executive Director Amy Beninato and Managing Director Karen Hom. They began by discussing the changes AI promises.

Our 2024 Women in Treasury APAC Forum took place in July, with sponsored welcome reception and special fireside chat with MUFG and a presentation celebrating our 2024 APAC Within Award winners. In the panel discussion, four industry experts shared their career journeys and explored topics such as menopause and neurodivergence.

Marion Reuter, Standard Chartered’s Regional Head of Transaction Banking Sales UK/Europe, and Desiree Pires, Head of Corporate Sales, Markets also in Europe, outline the steps MNCs can take to reduce the risk of trapped cash.

From supplier diversification and ‘China plus’ strategies to unlocking liquidity from the balance sheet, Citi’s Sumanta Panigrahi discusses the latest trade trends in Asia.