Most treasury teams operate like well-oiled machines—structured, risk-averse, and highly controlled. But here’s a bold thought: What if treasury operated more like a startup—agile, experimental, and focused on rapid innovation? Could adopting a startup mindset make treasury more impactful, or would it undermine the stability companies rely on?
The Case for a Startup Mindset in Treasury
- Agility and Speed
- Startups test ideas quickly, learn from failures, and iterate. Treasury could benefit from applying the same approach to new technologies, payment methods, or risk management strategies instead of waiting years for perfect solutions.
- Innovation Culture
- Treasury is often conservative. Bringing in a startup-style culture could encourage teams to embrace emerging tools like AI, APIs, or blockchain without the fear of failure holding them back.
- Closer to the Business
- Startups thrive on collaboration and direct customer feedback. Treasury could adopt this by working more closely with business units to co-create solutions rather than staying in a back-office silo.
- Lean Operations
- Startups do more with less. Treasury teams could apply this principle by automating manual tasks and reallocating time toward value-adding strategic work.
The Case Against a Startup Mindset
- Treasury’s Role is Risk Control
- Treasury is responsible for safeguarding liquidity and ensuring financial stability. Risky experiments could jeopardize the company’s cash and reputation.
- Compliance and Governance Can’t Be Ignored
- Unlike startups, treasury operates under strict compliance, regulatory, and audit frameworks. Moving too fast could create costly errors or control breakdowns.
- Not Everything Can Be Agile
- Hedging programs, debt structures, and banking relationships often require long-term planning, not short sprints or pivoting strategies.
A Balanced Model: Entrepreneurial but Controlled
Treasury doesn’t need to throw out governance to benefit from startup thinking. Instead, it can:
- Run pilots and proofs of concept for new technologies before full rollouts.
- Adopt agile project management methods for treasury tech and process improvements.
- Encourage experimentation within boundaries—fail fast on small initiatives while maintaining core stability.
- Reward creative problem-solving that challenges the status quo but aligns with the company’s risk appetite.
Let’s Discuss
- Should Treasury embrace more startup-style innovation, or is that too risky for such a critical function?
- Where could treasury apply agility without compromising control?
- Have you seen examples of treasury teams that successfully balance governance with innovation?
We’ll share perspectives from treasurers and innovators who’ve experimented with “startup-style” treasury—add your view to the conversation!
COMMENTS
Nena Koronidi, Treasury Masterminds Board Member, comments:
Absolutely. I see every treasury role as an opportunity to re-engineer processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and bring in fresh, innovative solutions. Protecting liquidity and managing risk will always come first, but that doesn’t mean we can’t experiment in smart, controlled ways. By working closely with IT, fintechs, and banking partners, we can pilot automation, APIs, and AI tools that not only speed up decision-making but also strengthen governance. Done right, innovation doesn’t weaken resilience; it makes it stronger.
For me, it’s about being entrepreneurial, but with the discipline treasury is known for.
Benjamin Defays, Treasury Masterminds Board Member, comments:
Yes, for Startup mentality, not for a startup methodology. It is a question of professional survival and sustainability of the function to have this entrepreneurial and transformational mindset, and it is what we are all looking for when hiring talent. However, in terms of methodology, it’d be a killer: we need to steer priorities, channel energy in the right direction, and ensure we keep a proper focus to achieve results in this manner.
Lee-Ann Perkins, Treasury Masterminds Board Member, comments:
A startup style for Treasury is essential in a rapidly changing world. We need to be flexible, proactive problem solvers with the goal of enhancing efficiency and driving growth. Our mandate is to control the risks and remain compliant at all times, and we can still achieve this by embracing innovation and leveraging cutting-edge tools for success. Treasurers should remain poised to redefine their roles through transformation.
Adeyinka Ogunnubi, Treasury Masterminds Board Member, comments:
Interesting topic. I often joke with my treasury team that the best treasurer is the “predictably boring treasurer. 😂 I say that with context. Back here in Nigeria, we suffered significant distortions in the FX market over the period of 4 years, ranging from severe FX liquidity issues to restrictions in trade finance. In the process, many corporate treasurers defined “Agility” as the ability to think outside the box (Start-up Mentality), which led them to explore and develop creative alternative measures of sourcing FX and doing trades (Start-up Methodology).
Some of these measures created serious compliance issues and elevated risk for the organisation. Bottom line, the “old” predictable process of bidding, two quotes, and order books was jettisoned for abnormal ways which, while agile, exciting, and adventurous, were fraught with risks. Predictability of process gave way to uncertainty, complexity, and volatility. A return to “normality” (which is what is the case now) has seen treasurers now scramble to get used to a structured, predictable model.
I absolutely agree with Benjamin Defays, yes for start-up mentality, but no for start-up methodology.
Also Read
- Treasury Contrarian View: Treasurers Are Not Finance’s Strategic Partner (Yet)
- Treasury Contrarian View: Everyone Is Replaceable — But Some Are More Replaceable Than Others!
- Treasury Contrarian View: FX Policy — Too Rigid, Too Static?
- Treasury Contrarian View: Inflation Hedging — Should Treasury Even Try?
- Treasury Contrarian View: APIs in Treasury — Game-Changer or Just Another Integration Headache?
- Treasury Contrarian View: Should Treasury Really Own Working Capital Optimisation?
- Treasury Contrarian View: Do We Focus Too Much on Finance Backgrounds in Treasury Hiring?
- Treasury Contrarian View: Real-Time Payments — Do We Really Need Them in Treasury?
- Treasury Contrarian View: Treasury Dashboards — Are We Tracking the Wrong Metrics?
- Treasury Contrarian View: Are Treasurers Too Conservative with Cash?
Join our Treasury Community
Treasury Mastermind is a community of professionals working in treasury management or those interested in learning more about various topics related to treasury management, including cash management, foreign exchange management, and payments. To register and connect with Treasury professionals, click [HERE] or fill out the form below to get more information.