The 4th KHYD 2025 Treasury Management Summit, organized by the Corporate Treasurers Association of Türkiye, brought together leading figures from the financial world on October 7 at the Lütfi Kırdar Congress Center.

During the panel titled Conducting the Orchestra, Octet Türkiye CEO Derya Ekemen Fidan and Economist and Strategist Fatih Keresteci evaluated emerging approaches in treasury management. The session highlighted shifting global dynamics, the transformation of treasury functions, and the strategic role of digitalization.

A New Balance in a Changing Global Order

At the opening of the panel, Fatih Keresteci addressed the scale of transformation in the global economy. He explained how the competition between the United States and China is reshaping global trade, shifting production centers, and strengthening new economic alliances.

He described this period as a qualitative transformation, emphasizing that yesterday’s solutions are no longer sufficient for today’s challenges. Corporate resilience, he noted, has become a defining component of competitive strength.

Industrial slowdowns, rising financing costs, and declining profit margins are pushing businesses to prioritize efficiency, capacity planning, and risk management. Companies that interpret change accurately and act accordingly are emerging as the winners of this new era.

Customers Now Demand Solutions, Not Just Products

The discussion also focused on evolving customer expectations. Keresteci stressed that companies must align their strategic decisions with macroeconomic realities.

“Uncontrolled downsizing leads to decline. Strategic decisions must be supported by data.”

Today’s customers are no longer satisfied with products alone. They expect tailored solutions that address their specific needs. While this shift reshapes value perception in the service sector, understanding the customer has become equally critical for financial management.

Keresteci also noted that only a small percentage of companies in Türkiye have full command of their balance sheets. Without this level of financial awareness, effective management becomes nearly impossible. At the same time, he pointed out that there is significant room for financial improvement across many organizations.

Strategic Transformation in Treasury Management

Derya Ekemen Fidan emphasized that treasury management has moved to the center of corporate strategy and that this transformation is accelerating across the financial ecosystem.

“For sustainable success, all departments from marketing to production must move in harmony. Treasury management is no longer limited to collections and payments. It has evolved beyond financial planning into an integral part of corporate strategy.

Operational speed and agility are achievable through digitalization. At Octet, we support businesses in managing capital efficiently, accelerating receivables collection, and planning cash flow more effectively.

Octet enables companies to access multiple banks through DBS, manage cash collection and supplier financing on a single platform, and utilize credit card based supplier finance solutions. Digitalization remains the constant in transformation, and at Octet, we make digitalization possible. This allows treasury managers to focus on strategic decisions rather than daily operational tasks.”

Managing Change Is Conducting the Orchestra

The Conducting the Orchestra session reinforced that treasury management is no longer merely a financial function. It is a core pillar of corporate resilience.

In a world defined by shifting global balances, organizations must manage their own orchestras with precision and rhythm. The true differentiator is not only the ability to read financial data, but to build and execute strategies that guide transformation.

In treasury management, digitalization now sits at the very center of that strategy.