Global Business & Emerging Markets

While its Big Three competitors struggled, Ford's treasury filled up on cash when the markets were easy, which allowed the auto maker to reduce its debt without destroying shareholder value and steer clear of government loans.

Tier 2 issuers could use the support already available to Tier 1 companies, group says.

Tier 2 issuers could use the support already available to Tier 1 companies, group says.

Despite growing global uncertainty and instability, companies have yet to take the same formal and measured approach to political risk as they do to managing other exposures.

With credit availability limited and some financial institutions still on shaky ground, treasurers are sorting out which relationships can work.

While funding and managing capital needs rule the day now, the future of treasury will be more about the power of information, speed and flexibility, and better technology.

New systems are often in the fast lane, increasingly robust in functionality and regularly adding enhancements, while many users are taking their time adopting new features.

Corporate investors are rethinking previous paradigms and still settling for low rates of return, although some see that beginning to change.