Opening New Perspectives: HAT's 2nd International Treasury Summit

HAT, the Hellenic Association of Treasurers held its second International Treasury Summit on September 9th in Athens. Almost 2 years since foundation, HAT organised a top-class full day event at the premises of OTE Academy including but not limited to speakers from 9 countries, live connections with HAT members from around the world and the prestigious HAT Awards ceremony.

The event exceeded all expectation as it attracted over 180 participants – of which the vast majority were members from the 14 countries in which HAT has a presence – and 7 major partners that had the opportunity to interact with both corporate and bank treasurers during the event and at the exquisite live music Gala under the Athenian summer sky. 

The driving motto of the Summit - "Opening new perspectives" - reflects the opportunities that the post-Covid era brought to the treasurers new ways of working, new technologies, and more clear focus in terms of sustainability and ESG goals. To help them sail through under this new era, the participants had the privilege of listening to an impressive line-up of honorable guest speakers, including the EACT's Chair François Masquelier, plus Sandra Ro, CEO Global Blockchain Business Council, Robin Page, CEO TMI, Cleo Lymberis, Group Treasurer, PPC, and Nikolaos Baziotis, CFO/CIO, Premia Properties. 

HAT would like to personally thank our sponsors for their excellent line-up of speakers contributed to the event:

• Eurobank – Panos Lymperopoulos, CFA, Deputy General Manager, Head of Large Corporate Loan Syndications, Alexandros Petrakidis, Head of Large Corporate Division, Athanassios Daflos, Head of Transaction Banking Solutions, George Panou, Head of Innovation Eurobank, Hellenic Blockchain Hub
• Fitch Ratings - Alex Griffiths, Head of Corporate EMEA analytical, Craig Gosnell, Senior Director Business & Relationship Management, Sustainable Fitch
• Kyriba - Ionut Gramma, Business Manager, Kyriba CEE, John Vincent, Regional Presales Manager, Kyriba Emerging, Michail Czerniecki, Senior Presales Engineer, Kyriba CEE,
• EY - Christos Kourouniotis, Partner, ΕΥ

Furthermore, we must also mention our distinguished HAT treasurers: Alexandros Bellos, Treasury Director, PVH S.A., Elisa Mylona, Executive Director, Group Treasurer, OTE, Nikos Polymenakos, Treasury Manager, Delta Foods, George Mourtzios, Assistant Group Treasurer, Sani & Ikos Group, Sotiris Agious, Financial Controlling Manager, Sarkk, Manos Valsamakis, Treasury Manager, Kaizen Gaming, Thanasis Panagoulis, Treasury Manager, PPC, Dimitris Siokis, Group Treasury Director, Coca Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, Giorgos Tsinidis, Credit Control & Treasury Director, Wind Hellas, Maria Giarmeniti, Head of Talent Management, AIMS International Hellas, Executive Coach (ACC), and Ioakeim Kampasakalis, Director Finance Service Centers, Imerys. 

The post-Covid era provided the international business world with a quintuple opportunity of which the five HAT working groups successfully addressed during the summit. Discussions mainly focused on further accelerating digitisation, sustainability, accessing new funding sources, exploring new technologies and analysing the competitiveness of the Greek labor market.

Digitisation is strategically and without a doubt improving all areas of modern treasury departments with themes such as open banking, APIs and new cutting-edge treasury management solutions dominating the landscape. On ESG side, numerous benefits of sustainability-linked bonds into the value creation chain coupled by the importance of reliable ESG credit scorings have been brought into light by experts and experienced Treasurers. Digitisation and Sustainability are also heavily supported by EU through the Next Generation EU program and its centerpiece, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The beneficial impact of RRF to the Greek businesses has been extensively covered during the summit. By gazing into the future of payments and the evolution of financial landscape, the participants of the summit deep dived into blockchain and distributed ledger technology. 

Beyond these core topics, the summit evaluated the competitiveness of the Greek labor market, via - the presentation of the 1st benchmarking and remuneration survey, - discussions around taxation and strengthening further education of local human capital and - observed trend of increased efficiency of European Treasury departments by operating local shared service centers in Greece.  

Concluding, the 2nd HAT International Treasury Summit provided the opportunity to HAT to celebrate its 2nd Anniversary. A relatively new and dynamic International Treasury Association reflecting the Greek diaspora from around the world, with 150 members from 14 countries, 6 Committees and 6 working groups – including the newly established Bank Treasury working group - organising Treasury Webinar and Treasury Corners under the shared educational umbrella initiative Open Treasury and the crown event of the year, the International Treasury Summit. 

By Alexandros Koliavras 
Vice President, Group Treasury, ING Americas
HAT President | EACT Board member | IGTA Representative 
New York, October 2022

On behalf of HAT Board

Alexandros Koliavras (Vice President, Group Treasury, ING Americas and HAT President), Marianna Polykrati (HAT Secretary), Chariton Papatriantafyllou (Vice President, Group Investments and Acquisitions, ING and HAT Treasurer), Alexandros Bellos (Treasury Director, PVH and HAT Board Member), and Iliana Angelakis (Head of Treasury and Fintech, Public Group and HAT Board Member).