How Treasury Leaders Build Stronger Business Partnerships

Treasury is evolving fast - and the leaders who succeed today are the ones who can bridge strategy, technology, risk, and business partnership.

In this returning guest episode, Karen Van den Driessche, former Vice President, Group Treasurer and Head of Tax at LIPTON Teas and Infusions, shares how treasury professionals can move beyond operational responsibilities to become trusted advisors across the organisation.

Karen Van den Driessche returns to the podcast to discuss the next chapter of her career journey since first appearing on the show several years ago. As the former Vice President and Group Treasurer, Head of Tax at LIPTON Teas and Infusions, Karen reflects on the lessons learned through restructurings, refinancing challenges, technology transformation, leadership evolution, and combining treasury with tax responsibilities.

Throughout the conversation, Karen shares practical insights on leadership, mentoring, treasury transformation, automation, business partnering, and why treasury remains one of the most exciting functions in finance.

What We Cover in This Episode:

• Karen’s career journey since her first appearance on the podcast
• Why treasury leadership is shifting towards business partnership
• Lessons learned from restructurings, refinancing, and covenant negotiations
• Building treasury functions during periods of organisational change
• Why strong treasury teams should make leaders “redundant”
• The growing importance of technology, automation, and visibility in treasury
• Combining treasury and tax under one leadership structure
• The importance of translating technical finance topics into business language
• How mentorship and coaching shaped Karen’s career
• Why treasury professionals need both technical expertise and communication skills
• The changing expectations of younger generations entering treasury
• How ATEB and the treasury community continue to evolve
• Why treasury remains a rewarding long-term career path

You can connect with Karen Van den Driessche on LinkedIn.

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