This program presents and discusses all of the various aspects of treasury management in a four course format, CTP 101 Introduction to Treasury Management, CTP 201: Working Capital Management. CTP 301 Risk Management, and CTP 401 Financial Management.
It covers the generally accepted principles and practices used to manage a firm’s liquidity, capital, and risk management functions. As such, it also represents the body of knowledge that needs to be mastered to earn the Certified Treasury Professional (CTP) © credential. The CTP © certification, which is administered by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP), serves as a benchmark of competency in the finance profession and is recognized as the leading credential in corporate treasury worldwide.
Because the management of treasury functions takes place in a dynamic, ever-evolving environment, the related body of knowledge changes over time. The evolution of the profession is apparent not only in the rapid expansion of the day-to-day methodologies and tools treasury professionals use, but also in the types of responsibilities boards of directors and chief executive officers place on treasury professionals. This ongoing change creates a need to periodically update any book or text that discusses the profession.
One of the goals of this program is to explain how and why particular methods and analytical tools are used, including when it is appropriate to use them and how the results should be interpreted. The objective of all business decisions should be to increase the economic value of the business, either immediately or over the long term. This goal applies no less to treasury responsibilities and decisions than it does to other areas of a firm’s operations.
Economic value in the marketplace is tied directly to financial performance. Financial markets weigh a firm’s performance relative to market participants’ expectations for that firm. A treasury professional has to weigh considerations of cost efficiency, risk, and expected return on investment when choosing among treasury management tools and investments and borrowing alternatives, as well as when making decisions that affect the timing of cash flows. The treasury professional must make choices with an
understanding of their impact on firm value, while simultaneously ensuring an
adequate level of safety represented by appropriate liquidity and risk mitigation practices.
It should also be noted that while this program focuses primarily on the typical for-profit corporation, many of the principles and practices in the treasury area also
apply in the not-for-profit and government sectors. The organizational goal may be
slightly different, but the concept of providing best-practice treasury operations in the most efficient man is consistent.Â
From Webster, Essential of Treasury Management, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2013 by the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)