IACT 2026: The Themes Reshaping Corporate Treasury
From always-on liquidity to cyber risk and the arrival of AI, the agenda of the IACT Treasury Management Conference mapped a profession moving quickly from support to the centre of the business.
Our colleague Alan Bluett was delighted to attend the IACT Annual Treasury Management Conference 2026 last week, Ireland’s premier gathering for the corporate treasury community. Now under the presidency of Donna Foley, this year’s conference brought together corporate treasurers, finance leaders, banks and service providers for a day of benchmarking, networking and debate. From always-on liquidity to cyber risk and the arrival of AI, the agenda mapped a profession moving quickly from support to the back office to the centre of the business.
A packed agenda
Chaired by author and broadcaster Richard Curran, with welcome remarks from IACT Vice President Kiera Agnew, the day opened with a keynote from Mairéad McGuinness, former European Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and Capital Markets Union (2020-2024). What followed was a full programme: panels led by J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, Ripple Treasury and Barclays, a fireside chat, four breakout streams, the IACT Awards, and a closing session on the future of AI. A few themes stood out to us.
Always-on liquidity and 24/7 payments
Led by J.P. Morgan, this panel followed Flutter Entertainment’s journey through in-house banking, virtual accounts and multi-currency notional pooling, with Emma Magill (Flutter), Sara Castelhano and John Murray (J.P. Morgan). The direction of travel is clear: money now moves around the clock, and treasury teams are being asked to manage liquidity in real time rather than in end-of-day batches. That shift rewards professionals who are as fluent in technology and banking infrastructure as they are in cash management.
When cyber risk strikes
Bank of America’s panel, featuring Paul Fannon (Equifax), Michelle Garrigan (Bank of America) and Eleanor Hill (TMI), asked a pointed question: is treasury ready when cyber risk strikes? Treasury sits on the payment rails that fraudsters target most, which makes it a front line rather than a bystander. The takeaway for hiring is a growing premium on treasury professionals who can pair financial control with an instinct for security and operational risk.
Automation and the arrival of AI
Between the Ripple Treasury session on automating treasury before the treasurer even logs in, featuring Aimee Cullen (Carrier Treasury), and the closing discussion led by Jared Browne (Fexco) on AI in treasury and beyond, a consistent thread ran through the day. As routine processing is handed to machines, the value of the treasury professional shifts towards judgement, strategy and the questions automation cannot answer. The role gets smaller in its manual load and larger in its influence.
Treasury as a strategic partner
The breadth of the programme made the point on its own. A Barclays panel on M&A and spin-offs, “Beyond the Deal”, brought together Lee Cumbes (Barclays), Rónán Clifford (Honeywell), Emer Murnane (Smurfit Westrock) and Steven Ellis (Flutter), while a fireside chat with Declan Doorly (DCC Energy) and Steven Ellis explored the treasurer’s view from the top. Across the breakout streams, from Asian cash management to credit risk in the era of digital liquidity, and a session on the treasurer’s own skillset with Remco de Vries (Experian), Stuart Kirk (Xerox) and Laura Trimble (HSBC), one message held: treasury is now strategic, technical and central to the business, and demand for people who can lead it has rarely been higher.
IACT Live
Alan attended IACT Live, a breakout built around real case studies from the Irish corporates shortlisted for the 2026 IACT Award. Hearing how treasury teams solved genuine problems, in their own words, was a highlight of the day and a reminder that the best insight in this profession comes from practitioners sharing what actually worked.
Thank you to the organisers
Our thanks to the team behind the event, notably Michele Fogarty and Robin Page (Treasury Management International – TMI), for a superbly run conference, and congratulations to all of this year’s IACT Award winners.
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