Exploring the Multi-Dimensional Side of Treasury with Mark Fortkamp

On this episode of the Treasury Career Corner podcast, I’m joined by Mark Fortkamp, the Treasurer at Performance Health.

After a stint in banking following college graduation, Mark began his treasury career in 2006 with Accenture (Chicago). At Accenture, he learned the fundamentals of international cash management for a multinational professional services company. Over several years with the firm, Mark worked in different treasury groups, broadening his experience to foreign exchange management and increasing his responsibility on the team. He was ultimately promoted to Manager and led a team of Treasury Analysts managing liquidity in 15 countries in North and South America and Asia-Pacific.

In 2013, Mark left Accenture for the Treasury department at Citadel, a hedge fund headquartered in Chicago. His work on the Cash and Collateral Management team within the technology-focused organization gave Mark new insight into treasury operations in the financial services industry. Mark joined Univar, a global chemical distributor, as Treasury Manager in 2014. His role at Univar marked a return to the corporate treasury arena, focusing on oversight of foreign exchange and intercompany transactions.

In late 2015, Mark was offered the opportunity to join the team at Patterson Medical, a global manufacturer/distributor of rehabilitation and sports medicine products. The company had recently been spun off and acquired by a leading Chicago private equity firm, and Mark was tasked with developing treasury and other internal finance functions previously managed by the former parent company.

In 2016, the company acquired another leading health and wellness manufacturer and united the two companies under the Performance Health name. In addition to his responsibilities as Treasurer, Mark oversees Performance Health’s Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable departments, managing teams based in Illinois and Ohio.

On the podcast we discussed…

• How Mark got started in finance and discovered the world of treasury
• How Mark became the manager of Treasury operations
• Mark talks about his experience as a manager of a Treasury team
• What it was like moving from financial services to corporate treasury
• How to start a new treasury department for a start-up
• Why Mark loves his role in Treasury and why it’s such an interesting space in finance
• How treasury has changed over the last 20 years
• Mistakes to avoid in your Treasury career
• Mark shares tips and advice for junior Treasurers

You can get in touch with Mark by connecting with him on LinkedIn.

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