What does it really take to prepare a company for IPO - and why should treasury be involved far earlier than most expect?

In this episode, Stef Layne, a three-time IPO leader, shares how treasury plays a critical role in shaping IPO readiness, strengthening cash discipline, and building financial resilience.

This episode explores the critical, often underestimated role treasury plays in shaping IPO readiness, cash discipline, and financial resilience.

In this episode, we’re joined by Stef Layne, a finance executive with over 20 years of experience leading high-growth, global technology companies through IPOs, rapid scale, and transformation. A proven partner to CEOs and executive teams, Stef brings deep expertise across capital strategy, liquidity management, FP&A, global operations, and risk management. As a three-time IPO leader, she is known for bringing structure to ambiguity, building high-performing teams, and aligning finance strategy with business outcomes.

This conversation dives into the evolving role of treasury in the IPO journey, highlighting why early involvement is essential for success. The discussion covers how treasury supports liquidity planning, establishes financial discipline across organisations, and manages banking relationships during periods of uncertainty.

We also explores the importance of embedding cash awareness across teams and ensuring that financial decisions align with long-term business objectives - both before and after going public.

What We Cover in This Episode:

1. The role of treasury in preparing a company for IPO
2. Why treasury should be involved earlier in the IPO process
3. Building and maintaining strong liquidity positions
4. The importance of free cash flow awareness across the organisation
5. Establishing financial discipline before and after going public
6. Managing banking relationships and counterparty risk
7. Navigating periods of financial uncertainty and cash risk
8. Treasury’s role in supporting strategic decision-making
9. Aligning treasury operations with broader business goals

You can connect with Stef Layne on LinkedIn.

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📊 Managing short-term cash and investments - Without the right technology is a huge risk for modern treasurers. Tradeweb changes that!

🎓 Save $150 on CTP & FPAC– Exclusive discounts for treasury professionals – thanks to our trusted partners.

🧠 Leadership Under Pressure – Practical tools and coaching that work – from the team at Gazing Leadership

🧩 What if your whole team had one clear view of your group structure - Fuseable makes it happen

🔐 Managing signatory lists manually? Cygnetise gives treasury teams a smarter, safer way

👉 FIND OUT MORE HERE https://treasuryrecruitment.com/partners/

Leading treasury across multiple industries requires more than technical expertise - it demands adaptability, broad experience, and a forward-looking mindset.

In this episode, Garima Thakur, Global Treasurer and Risk Leader at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) shares insights from building a treasury career spanning finance, technology, consumer products, sports, and entertainment.

Garima Thakur is Global Treasurer and Risk Leader at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where she oversees treasury, liquidity management, and financial risk. She brings extensive treasury leadership experience across multiple industries, including financial services, technology, consumer products, and entertainment.

On the show Garima shares how she discovered treasury during an MBA internship and built a career across several industries and treasury disciplines. She explains why developing broad experience early in a treasury career can create a strong foundation for future leadership roles.

The conversation also explores how treasury functions evolve within growing organizations, the importance of forward-looking liquidity planning, and how technology and AI are beginning to influence areas such as forecasting, data analysis, and decision-making.

What We Cover in This Episode:

1. Discovering treasury during an MBA internship and choosing it as a career path
2. Building early career experience across multiple treasury disciplines
3. The advantages of working in lean treasury teams and learning across functions
4. Leading treasury roles across finance, technology, consumer products, sports, and entertainment
5. Building and evolving treasury capabilities within a fast-moving organization
6. The role treasury plays in supporting both strategic initiatives and daily operations
7. Forward-looking liquidity planning and scenario analysis
8. The growing role of technology and AI in treasury processes
9. Developing strong treasury teams and learning from operational mistakes
10. What treasury leaders value when hiring and developing talent

You can connect with Garima Thakur on LinkedIn.

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🎙️ Subscribe to the Treasury Career Corner podcast - Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favourite platform:

CLICK HERE for 🎧Spotify Podcasts

CLICK HERE for 🍏Apple Podcasts

📊 Managing short-term cash and investments - Without the right technology is a huge risk for modern treasurers. Tradeweb changes that!

🎓 Save $150 on CTP & FPAC– Exclusive discounts for treasury professionals – thanks to our trusted partners.

🧠 Leadership Under Pressure – Practical tools and coaching that work – from the team at Gazing Leadership

🧩 What if your whole team had one clear view of your group structure - Fuseable makes it happen

🔐 Managing signatory lists manually? Cygnetise gives treasury teams a smarter, safer way

👉 FIND OUT MORE HERE https://treasuryrecruitment.com/partners/

Global treasury leaders are operating in one of the most complex financial environments in decades. Volatility, evolving risks, and growing strategic expectations mean treasury must balance liquidity, risk management, and long-term value creation more carefully than ever.

In this episode, Deepali Chawla, Chief Treasury Officer shares how she navigates these challenges while leading the global treasury function at Moody’s Corporation.

Deepali Chawla is the Chief Treasury Officer at Moody’s Corporation, where she leads the company’s global treasury function. She brings extensive experience in treasury strategy, financial risk management, and liquidity oversight, along with an international career spanning multiple markets and leadership roles.

In this episode of the Treasury Career Podcast, host Mike Richards speaks with Deepali about her journey into treasury and her leadership role at Moody’s. She shares insights on leading a global treasury function, managing risk and liquidity in a volatile environment, and how treasury has evolved into a more strategic business partner.

Deepali also discusses the role of technology and forward planning in modern treasury, along with the mindset and skills needed to build resilient teams and successful treasury careers.

What We Cover in This Episode:

1. Deepali’s early career journey and transition into treasury
2. Building a career internationally and adapting to new environments
3. The evolving role of treasury within global organisations
4. Leading the treasury function at Moody’s
5. Managing financial risk and liquidity in a complex global environment
6. The importance of forward planning and preparing for potential market disruption
7. How technology and automation are reshaping treasury operations
8. Creating a more strategic and forward-looking treasury function
9. Building and developing high-performing treasury teams
10. Career advice for professionals looking to grow within treasury

You can connect with Deepali Chawla on LinkedIn.

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🎙️ Subscribe to the Treasury Career Corner podcast - Never miss an episode! Subscribe on your favourite platform:

CLICK HERE for 🎧Spotify Podcasts

CLICK HERE for 🍏Apple Podcasts

📊 Managing short-term cash and investments - Without the right technology is a huge risk for modern treasurers. Tradeweb changes that!

🎓 Save $150 on CTP & FPAC– Exclusive discounts for treasury professionals – thanks to our trusted partners.

🧠 Leadership Under Pressure – Practical tools and coaching that work – from the team at Gazing Leadership

🧩 What if your whole team had one clear view of your group structure - Fuseable makes it happen

🔐 Managing signatory lists manually? Cygnetise gives treasury teams a smarter, safer way

👉 FIND OUT MORE HERE https://treasuryrecruitment.com/partners/