The texting, tweeting, social networking members of Gen Y are starting to invade corporate treasuries, bringing along their passion for mobile communication. How well they work with their Gen X managers and baby boomer top executives depends on how well they all use mutual understanding to bridge the generation and communication technology gaps. The gap may not be huge. Gen Yers–those born in the '80s and '90s–are a Facebook/Twitter generation with dexterous thumbs. Generational differences on using mobile technology do create some tension in treasuries, says Phil Capodice, a consultant with Treasury Strategies in Chicago. However, senior managers have been pressured for years to use the latest technology to gain efficiencies. Graying treasurers may or may not be on Facebook, but they are old hands with laptops and BlackBerries. "Mobile technology spans the generations," Capodice says. "There's still a gap, but it has been closing for several years."

Intergenerational treasury is working well at Diebold, a provider of banking and security systems in Canton, Ohio. Simon Bishop signed up for a three-month stint with $3 billion Diebold at age 22. He had just graduated from the Leeds University Business School in England with a B.A. in economics.

Working in Diebold's shared service center in Leeds, Bishop became involved in a European banking interface project led by assistant treasurer Steve Wolgamott. Now, at 28, Bishop is Diebold's treasury manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and runs the company's in-house bank, GTB.