Myths and Realities of War Risk insurance coverage

AHT will join to lead a session on war risk.  Prompted in large part by the conflict in Ukraine, few insurance topics have elicited more questions from NGOs than War Risk coverage.  With the ongoing conflict in Sudan and recent events in Israel and Gaza the need to understand War Risk exclusions is only growing within the international aid and development community.  During the webinar we will discuss:

• What is War Risk coverage exactly and how might it impact my organization?

• How can organizations make sure they have appropriate War Risk coverage in place?

• Does an investment in security risk management help secure coverage in conflict zones?

• Are there alternatives to buying back War Risk exclusions?

• Should organizations be aware of any other insurance exclusions or limits when operating in conflict environments?

Click Here for Recording

When looking at ESG through a claims lens, organizations often dwell on only the E. While the environmental impact on businesses and claims is critical, social and governance risks are equally important.

Join us for a conversation analyzing the ‘E’, ‘S’ and ‘G’ from a risk and claims perspective. We will share insights that can help you prepare your organization for the risks and potential claims in each of the three areas.
Don’t miss this holistic discussion on how to increase resilience and improve sustainability featuring:

• Chetna Gulati-Kapoor, Senior Claims Advocate, SVP International Claims Solutions, Marsh

• Dave Fox, Managing Director, Geospatial Insight Ltd

• Lars Henneberg, VP, Head of Risk Management, A.P. Moller-Maersk

• Sophie Robson, Management Liability Claims Advocate, FINPRO, Marsh

On April 25, 2023, the Department of the Treasury issued the 2023 De-Risking Strategy pursuant to the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, reflecting the Department of the Treasury’s commitment to address de-risking.

As we hope all of you have had time to digest the Strategy, the Department of the Treasury cordially invites you to participate in a roundtable on June 6th for non-governmental organizations to discuss and respond to the Strategy.  Please submit any questions in advance by emailing alexandra.francis@treasury.gov with the subject line “Question for NGO Roundtable on the De-Risking Strategy” by 6:00 PM EST on Thursday, May 25, 2023, to be prepared to answer as many questions as possible.

Please see below for additional details, including a Zoom registration link.

NPO De-Risking Strategy Roundtable (Zoom)

- Tuesday, June 6, 2023

- 11:00 AM -12:00 PM EST

- Zoom Registration Required

The purpose of the Open Forum is to provide the opportunity for members to share questions, issues, and solutions directly in the risk management/ insurance space.

We ask that if you have any particular issues to raise, please indicate in advance so we can ensure that there is facilitation on this topic. 

At present, the standing topics are the following:

• Cyber Insurance  – insurance solutions vis a vis non-insurance solutions

• DBA – applying duty of care when dealing with multiple policies for different classes of individuals and the resulting gaps. How do we allocate these out?

• Emergency response is only as good as the weakest link. For example, we may have strong medical policies but weak security structures.

For our members who are in non-insurance roles, we kindly request you to pass it onto to your colleagues in the insurance functions. Where members do not have a designated insurance team, we kindly request you to pass this invitation onto your colleagues who undertake risk management / insurance for your organization be they in legal, human resources, operations, travel, and/or benefits.   

The webinar is free to join. The webinar shall be interactive with virtual attendees having the opportunity to ask questions and/ or make comments. Please submit your questions or comments to info@treasurersroundtable.org and/or ask during the webinar.  

Blaylock Van is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion entitled “What to Worry About in 2023” on Friday, February 24, 2023, starting at 11 AM EST. Please join our panelists for an insightful discussion on brewing global hotspots to watch for in 2023 and the ensuing geopolitical and market implications. 

Our featured speakers are:    

• Paul Stares, the Director of the Center of Preventative Action within the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). CFR is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher dedicated to being a resource for its members, government officials, business executives, journalists, educators and students, civic and religious leaders, and other interested citizens in order to help them better understand the world and the foreign policy choices facing the United States and other countries. The Center is at the forefront of publishing the CFR 2023 Preventive Priorities Survey, which assesses the likelihood and impact of thirty potential conflicts that could emerge or escalate in 2023. 

• Aroop Chatterjee, a Global Foreign Exchange, Emerging Markets and Rates Strategist. Aroop is an experienced research professional engaged in top-down macro investment themes, quantitative frameworks, and actionable trade idea generation. He has managed teams of strategists at leading investment banks and coordinated global/cross-asset views. Aroop will provide a perspective on what these potential events might mean for markets overall.  

The session - which will also include viewpoints from Blaylock Van’s Africa Coverage Team - will be moderated by Nyagaka Ongeri, Executive Director, Investment Banking at Blaylock Van. 

***Events are not open to the media*** 

Based on the insightful feedback members shared at our last Treasurers Open Forum, we are excited to provide our members with an opportunity to dialogue specifically on the following:   

1.       Concerns about investing in treasury bills due to the implications of the debt limit issue. 

2.       Contingency plans in place by treasurers in the event of a government shutdown or debt ceiling stalemate.     

At 10am ET to 10:30am ET this will be a member treasurers only session designed as a peer-to-peer exchange under Chatham house rules in an unrecorded session.

From 10:30am ET to 11am ET we will open up the webinar to our guest speakers below and we shall record this segment inclusion in our members chat resources.

FEATURING: 

Michael N. Berkowitz 

Managing Director 

North America Head, Liquidity Management Services 

Treasury & Trade Solutions, Citi 

Michael Berkowitz is a Managing Director with Citi Treasury & Trade Solutions (TTS), where he is Head of North America (NA) Liquidity Management Services. In this role, he and his team focus on building and providing liquidity management solutions and short-term investment strategies to corporations, financial institutions and public sector entities. In addition, Mr. Berkowitz focuses on the management of Citi’s North American balance sheet to ensure appropriate returns for the business and compliance with all regulatory requirements. Mr. Berkowitz has also previously managed Global Product Management and Development for Liquidity Management Services, and has held various roles across Payments, Channel Services and Global Cash Management and Strategy. Mr. Berkowitz has spoken at numerous industry conferences, including the Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) and National Association of State Treasurers (NAST).

Mr. Berkowitz joined Citi in 1999 as a member of the Salomon Smith Barney Energy Investment Banking group and has also worked in Citi’s Corporate & Investment Banking eCommerce Strategy group. Mr. Berkowitz holds a B.A. with Honors in International Relations from Brown University, and a Certificate from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris. 

Mark Zdunek, CPA 

Vice President 

North America Public Sector Market Manager, Liquidity Management Services 

Treasury & Trade Solutions, Citi 

Mark Zdunek is a Vice President with Citi Treasury & Trade Solutions (TTS), where he is the Public Sector Market Manager for North America (NA) Liquidity Management Services. In this role, Mark provides treasury solutions and short-term investment strategies to public sector entities. In addition, Mark focuses on the management of Citi’s North American balance sheet to ensure appropriate returns for the business and compliance with all regulatory requirements.  

Mark joined Citi in 2017 as a member of its Corporate Treasury team within Global Liquidity Management and later CBNA US Bank Legal Entity Treasury focusing on liquidity management.  Mark began his career at Deloitte US within the Audit and Assurance practice and also held various leadership positions as a Certified Public Accountant before joining Citi. Mark earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting from the University of Connecticut.   

The webinar is free to join. The webinar shall be interactive with virtual attendees having the opportunity to ask questions and/ or make comments. Please submit your questions or comments to info@treasurersroundtable.org and/or ask during the webinar.  

The choice of a banking service provider is one not-for-profits should make carefully.  

A request for proposals (RFP) process is undertaken to select a new banking service provider. A banking service provider is both a business partner of the organization and a vendor. It is critical for the success of the Not-for-Profit to establish and maintain a relationship with a banking service provider they like and trust to bolster financial success. Other factors to consider include quality services, delivered at an appropriate price, and providers who understand and align with the not-for-profit’s organizational values and/or mission.  

As a fiduciary, it is recommended to issue an RFP periodically, and as needed. The following situations make it opportune to issue an RFP: (1) in response to changes in investment goals, (2) increase in amount of assets, (3) concerns with your current provider, (4) board changes, and (5) to determine that your organization is receiving the service it deserves. 

FEATURING:

Moojan Behziz 

Deputy Director Treasury 

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 

Treasurers and Insurance Roundtable Executive Committee Member 

Moojan Behziz is responsible for Treasury at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where she works primarily on global banking and insurance. She started her career at PwC, responsible for tax preparation of tax-exempt organizations. Following her work with PwC, Moojan spent 13 years at Amgen, Inc. and held positions of increasing responsibility mainly within global treasury, which included cash management, capital planning, interest rate and foreign exchange risk management, and corporate insurance. Prior to joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Moojan was the Assistant Treasurer for Wesco Aircraft, responsible for M&A treasury integration, cash operations, and debt restructuring. She earned her M.B.A. in Financial Planning in 2009 from California Lutheran University and holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees from George Mason University in Accounting and Management Information.  

The webinar is free to join. The webinar shall be interactive with virtual attendees having the opportunity to ask questions and/ or make comments.  

Please submit your questions or comments to info@treasurersroundtable.org and/or ask during the webinar.  

Join us on August 4 for a Webinar presented by Absa. Panelist will include Absa’s regional head of sanctions, head of intelligence & surveillance, data privacy specialist, privacy/data production/access to info specialist, and financial crime regulatory specialists. Registration will be forthcoming.

Webinar information

Speakers:

Caren Huminski, CPCU, RPLU of AHT Insurance

Overview:

Please join us to discuss methods that can aid you and your organization in managing the hard insurance market. Caren Huminski of AHT Insurance will focus on how global development organizations may partner with insurance brokers throughout the renewal/quotation process, as well as secure buy-in and update appropriate stakeholders within their organizations throughout the process. Dedicated time will be allocated for collaboration with peers on tactics that have been found to be useful.

Link to the Recorded Session

Presented by:

USAID and DAI

• Fernando Maldonado, Team Lead, Digital Finance, USAID

• Taha Gaya, Digital Finance Advisor, USAID

• Susannah Horton, Digital Specialist, DAI

Overview:

A key initiative within USAID’s recently launched Digital Strategy is to strengthen the application of safe, regulated, and reliable digital payments. Research shows that digital payments make financial transactions more affordable, efficient, transparent, and secure. Particularly, in light of COVID-19, urgency is increasing the need to accelerate the growth of inclusive digital payment systems globally.

USAID has been invited to host a learning discussion to understand who is implementing digital payments; why they are applying digital payments; where and when digital payments occur; and how digital payments are transacted. This session will be led by Taha Gaya and Fernando Maldonado from USAID’s Center for Digital Development with support from Susannah Horton from DAI, which is supporting the rollout of the Digital Strategy.

During the session, USAID will present the Digital Strategy and its relation to digital payments, then facilitate a focus group discussion amongst Treasurers Roundtable participants to gather information on how digital payments are being used across global development organizations and collect feedback on how USAID can best support transitions to digital payments. Key goals for the session include:

• Understand USAID’s motivation to support digital payments in the context of the Digital Strategy

• Discuss global development organizations’ challenges, practices, and solutions to transition to digital payments

• Identify how USAID can best support global development organizations to increase adoption of digital payments

Link to the Recorded Session

Presented by:

StoneX (formerly INTL FCStone)

Overview:

Learn how to mitigate cross-border payment risk in the age of Covid-19. We will discuss how the global payments landscape has fared in response to the pandemic, and equip you with the tools and best practices needed to protect your organization from unnecessary risk.

Presented by:

Chatham Financial

• Chris Bender, Director, Regulatory Advisory

• Kate Marcus, CFA, Director, Private Equity and Impact Investing
  

Overview:

This webinar provides an overview of SOFR and the impacts of the LIBOR to SOFR transition on debt and derivatives. The speakers will review the transition timeline and discuss steps to begin preparing for the transition.

Overview:

To strengthen our Treasurers Roundtable family, our first Treasury Live Chat will provide an open forum for treasury practitioners to connect and discuss challenges and trends and to share insights and potential solutions. This first conversation will kick off around foreign exchange and other treasury topics.

Overview:

To strengthen our Treasurers Roundtable family, our first Treasury Live Chat will provide an open forum for treasury practitioners to connect and discuss challenges and trends and to share insights and potential solutions. This first conversation will kick off around foreign exchange and other treasury topics.

Overview:

To strengthen our Treasurers Roundtable family, our first Treasury Live Chat will provide an open forum for treasury practitioners to connect and discuss challenges and trends and to share insights and potential solutions. This first conversation will kick off around foreign exchange and other treasury topics.

Presented by:

Overview:

This session, entitled “Liquidity Management – The Case for Why and How Global Development Organizations (GDOs) Should Adopt a Liquidity Management Structure” will provide an introduction to liquidity management including:

a) Best practice forecasting methodologies to determine appropriate liquidity management structures that align to organizational excess cash situations

b) Regulations related to liquidity management on the African continent.

Presented by:

Overview: 

Treasurers are the gatekeepers of and responsible for their organization’s financial health and well being. With great responsibility comes huge liability. On its own, staying legally compliant and keeping pace with rapidly changing data security and cybersecurity laws and regulations along with the evolving cyber threats is daunting. On top of that, organizations are responsible for ensuring that their third-party service providers are also legally compliant. Failure to confirm this compliance makes organizations liable. This session will address both the global and day-to-day problems and solutions when vetting, assessing, and monitoring third-party service providers to ensure compliance with data security and cybersecurity laws.

Presented by:

Overview: 

Crown Agents Bank will present on centralised or local payment origination and choosing the right banking partners. They will explore the end-to-end payment process and focus on some of the main hurdles that NGOs encounter, including threats posed by de-risking, delays in wire transfers, costs of transfers, automation of processes, currency risks, and last mile delivery. The presentation will be delivered by David Pitts and Colin Digby with support from their Product and Implementation team.

Past Webinars & Events Presented By Partners & Affliates:

• ECOBANK | Digitalisation and the New Normal: Transforming Your Organisation to Accelerate Adoption of Digital Payments

• CROWN AGENTS BANK | Mobile Money: Moving Money Where It’s Needed

• ECOBANK | An Economic Outlook: The Impact of Covid-19 on African Economies

• UBA | UBA’s 2020 Strategic Initiatives