Treasurers, help your groups understand where the cash goes
VIDEO | For NIBE Industrier – the Sweden-based provider of heat pumps and other climate/energy systems – a long list of acquisitions has formed both its financial profile and its culture. The record-large Treasury 360° Nordic conference on Thursday saw long-standing CFO Hans Backman share his picture of today’s business environment and the role of the finance function in it, in a morning keynote.
“I am convinced that we can enhance the role of treasury within the companies,” said Hans Backman, on stage at Stockholmsmässan on Thursday morning.
“Often the treasury people are intelligent and well educated. They understand the impact of
things like hedging and currency rates, and understand the products from the banks – but who sometimes sit a little on their own, not right where the business is like a business controller would.”
As CFO of NIBE Industrier since 2011, Hans Backman has overseen a very large number of takeovers. In his session, he discussed what capabilities he sees as decisive for the future, for corporate financial functions in supporting the global business ambitions of their groups.
His view centered clearly on the value of deeply understanding capital and cash flow allocations, working capital not least. In this art, treasurers could importantly support their groups, but also seek to raise their own level. Of your cash flow, how much do you respectively use for each of the five pillars: organic growth, M&A, debt amortization, dividends, and share buy-backs?
“For us, a lot is spent on capex, for example into developing a product. What if the launch is delayed?”
Hans Backman’s chief financial officer perspective formed the segue from the global context – presented in the opening keynote by EU ex-trade commmissioner Cecilia Malmström – to the mid-day’s functional treasury insights.
• News from Treasury 360° Nordic 2025, at Stockholmsmässan on 22 May, is gathered here.
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