A global symbol of excellence, the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation sets the standard in the treasury profession. Earning the CTP signifies that you have demonstrated the knowledge and skills required to effectively execute critical functions related to corporate liquidity, capital and risk management.

AFP recently caught up with Marcell Wiradinata, CTP, a manager of treasury in East Java, Indonesia, to discuss his decision to earn the CTP, and how it has affected his life and career journey.

AFP: How did you get your start in treasury?

I was assigned to a treasury position after moving around and performing several different finance functions within the company over the past four years — including purchase-to-pay, financial reporting and finance projects. Working in treasury was something I never planned on in my career; however, along the way, I became impressed with how critical the role of treasury is in a company, and it later led to the idea of seriously pursuing a career in the field.

AFP: What are two or three core aspects of your day-to-day job?

My job focuses on treasury operations, specifically: ensuring transactions are processed accurately and efficiently, and that they are correctly recorded in our ledger. I am also involved in several cash management discussions, where I am expected to provide insights from both a technical and a risk management perspective.

Earning the CTP gave me the background, skills and knowledge to be successful in this role. For example, we are taught in detail about how to create a well-structured risk management plan, which proved to be a very important in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. It is also beneficial to have the CTP community there to support you — there are CTP holders all over the world — to discuss best practices for payment systems, treasury policy and more.

AFP: What is something that you would like to do in the future in treasury?

The coronavirus pandemic clearly told us that the future lies in digitalization. Whether we like it or not, digital technologies are rapidly reshaping the world in which we live and work. As treasurers, we should take advantage of this momentum and kick off the discussions with our stakeholders. I have a strong feeling this will be the catalyst to unlock bigger possibilities of international trade finance, especially for emerging countries.

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AFP: Are there certain skills or training that help you in what you do now?

Specific skills that help me in what I do now were obtained from both previous job experience and through e-learning on financial reporting, payment systems and risk management. My greatest source of knowledge is my first treasury manager; I am blessed to have begun my treasury journey on his team. He is very knowledgeable, a great teacher, and one of my main inspirations to pursue a career in treasury.

While having these skills, mentors and experiences are important, the CTP was needed in order for me to grasp a complete knowledge of treasury.

AFP: What skills are most important to you to add over the next couple of years?

I am not even sure where to start! In fact, obtaining the CTP made me realize that there is even more to learn in treasury.

In the short run, I plan to learn more about international treasury products, technologies and IT relations with global cash management. While the pandemic has made the world realize that digitalization is the focus for the next couple of years, global cash management is equally as important to me — it supports my future career aspiration, which is to pursue an international career in treasury.

AFP: What is the most critical treasury issue you are facing today?

The most critical issue to focus on today is ensuring our treasury operations are running well, especially in this global pandemic when our onsite time is limited. We need to be flexible but still compliant with local regulations. During these unusual times, we should also be prepared for any newly applied treasury products, which has never happened before. In some countries, it might be a big issue if they are not ready for digitalization.

AFP: Can you share your approach to this issue?

It all starts with proper scenario planning and the flexibility to adapt along the way. We can never predict what will happen in the future with 100% accuracy, but at least we can minimize the risk by planning. Proper planning is only possible by including the right people in these discussions — those who are both knowledgeable and well-experienced in similar situations.

AFP: Why did you decide to earn the CTP?

Before earning the CTP, I had already been working in treasury for two different regions. I realized the practices were quite different, such as the readiness of payment systems, allowable FX instruments and treasury products. In addition, there was no structured treasury education when I was in college. These reasons made me realize that earning the CTP was a priority.

Having the CTP allows me to understand what stands behind those differences and set of solutions that could be further explored — an understanding made clearer when I received the AFP Asia-Pacific Treasury Handbook, a great additional resource. The handbook is structured in a way that you can see countries’ treasury landscape: payment systems, treasury instruments, taxation and even bank cut-off time.

AFP: How has the CTP credential impacted your life/career?

I have a good framework for thinking compared to before I earned the CTP. Specifically, I was assigned to several treasury projects where I provided insightful feedback to the team.

It has also boosted my confidence in communication with external parties across regions and allows me to stay relevant in all the important discussions.

AFP: Would you recommend the CTP to others? Why?

I would highly recommend the CTP to anyone who wants to pursue a serious career in treasury. Aside from earning the title, you will be bringing a competency that truly makes differences in the company.

Learn more about the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) designation.

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