Adam Watts

Treasury Programme Director at Dentsu

London, England, United Kingdom

About

With 15+ years in Financial Services and deep expertise in Treasury Transformation, I specialize in helping global organizations modernize and optimize their treasury operations. My work spans 80+ markets, delivering programs that unify ERP and TMS systems, embed SWIFT straight-through processing, implement intercompany netting, and drive global cash visibility and forecasting. I lead discovery, requirements definition, and solution design, following a disciplined methodology to ensure robust architecture and sustainable implementations. This approach has been fundamental across payments integrations, FX trading platforms, bank reporting, journal automation, and cash forecasting systems. I've led transformation initiatives using platforms like Coupa Treasury, TIS CashOptix, and Microsoft D365; always ensuring scalable governance, measurable ROI, and real-world impact. I'm also accountable for Group Treasury's Microsoft Power Platform automation and reporting, designing Power BI dashboards, Power Query transformations, and Power Automate workflows that deliver real-time visibility and eliminate manual processes. I've built and scaled a Treasury Centre of Excellence in Bangalore, providing functional support to treasury operations across 80+ markets. This centre has embedded best practices, standardized processes, and developed treasury teams globally, ensuring consistent service delivery and operational excellence. What sets me apart is my ability to bridge the gap between business and technology. I translate complex financial architectures into strategic outcomes, engaging CFOs, vendors, in-market teams, and IT partners alike to deliver value from day one. 🔹 Treasury Systems Integration & Solution Design 🔹 Global Payments Strategy & Integration 🔹 SWIFT FileAct/FIN Expertise 🔹 Intercompany Netting & Cash Pooling 🔹 Finance Process Optimization & Governance 🔹 Vendor & Bank Relationship Management 🔹 Microsoft Power Platform (Power BI, Power Query, Power Automate) 🔹 Treasury Centre of Excellence & Functional Support 🔹 Requirements Definition & Solution Architecture Whether consulting, leading, or advising—I'm passionate about bringing clarity, control, and confidence to global treasury operations.

Experience

  • Treasury Programme Director | Finance Transformation Leader at dentsu
    Mar 2014 - Present · 12 yrs 4 mos

    Originally brought on as a Finance Transformation Project Manager, I've since built and now lead the Treasury Transformation function. In my current role as Treasury Programme Director, I partner closely with the global Finance Transformation Programme and Treasury teams to drive strategic change and operational efficiency. Key accomplishments include: Transformation Programme & Solution Design: - Spearheading the global implementation and integration of Coupa Treasury Management System, aligning across R2R, P2P, and OTC workstreams—from discovery and requirements definition through solution design and delivery - Leading discovery and requirements definition for treasury integrations: payments connectivity, FX trading platforms, bank reporting automation, journal automation, and cash forecasting systems - Rolling out a secure, scalable corporate SWIFT payments solution across global operations with straight-through processing Digital Transformation & Power Platform: - Accountable for Group Treasury's Microsoft Power Platform automation and reporting development—designing Power BI dashboards, Power Query transformations, and Power Automate workflows that deliver real-time visibility and eliminate manual processes Treasury Centre of Excellence: - Built and scaled Treasury Centre of Excellence in Bangalore, providing functional support across 80+ markets - Embedded best practices, standardised processes, and developed treasury teams globally - Designed scalable support model ensuring consistent service delivery and improved user adoption Additional Achievements - Designing and deploying global Intercompany Netting solution, reducing transaction costs and improving liquidity management - Redesigning core Corporate FP&A processes using TIS solutions to enable better forecasting and financial insights - Engaging stakeholders across Treasury, Finance, Tax, Accounting, IT, FP&A, vendors, and banking partners to align on transformation roadmaps

  • Client Transition Project Manager at MediaCom
    Sep 2013 - Mar 2014 · 7 mos

    Brought on to lead the onboarding of two major clients—one Global, one EMEA—transitioning their media services to MediaCom. Tasked with rapidly scaling operations and staffing to support complex client requirements, while also designing a legacy transition toolkit for future use across the organization. Key Responsibilities & Achievements: - Led cross-functional transition efforts across client teams, MediaCom global leads, and internal departments (Trading, HR, Finance), aligning on transition briefs and detailed project plans - Directed project resources using a matrix management model, ensuring timely delivery of key milestones - Consolidated in-market updates and provided clear, executive-level reporting to senior stakeholders across both MediaCom and client organizations - Developed and maintained a comprehensive Project Log to proactively identify and mitigate local and global risks, driving resolution before issues escalated - Introduced Prince2 Project Management methodology across MediaCom and GroupM, and created a scalable, reusable legacy transition toolkit to streamline all future client transitions

  • Project Manager | Loyalty Programme Implementation | Financial Services Sector at Reward
    Nov 2012 - Aug 2013 · 10 mos

    Led the end-to-end delivery of a major loyalty programme implementation for one of the UK’s largest Financial Services institutions, in partnership with a broad network of national retail partners. This high-visibility initiative required strategic coordination across technical, business, and third-party teams to launch a robust and scalable customer rewards platform. Key Responsibilities & Achievements: - Partnered with stakeholders from both the Bank and Reward organizations to capture and define functional, non-functional, and infrastructure requirements - Introduced and embedded project management disciplines across the Reward organisation to improve delivery consistency and transparency - Facilitated stakeholder alignment to gain consensus on solution design and scope - Developed high-level implementation roadmaps and translated them into detailed project plans and schedules - Managed deliverables across budget and timeline constraints, establishing governance frameworks and ensuring adherence to key thresholds and controls

  • Project Manager at Verint
    Aug 2012 - Oct 2012 · 3 mos

    After seven years of hands-on experience implementing Verint’s Impact 360 solution across three major Australian financial institutions, I was invited by the Managing Director of Verint Asia-Pacific to join the company as a Project Manager. My role focused on supporting five key Financial Services clients across Australia and New Zealand—delivering tailored enhancements, resolving technical issues, and ensuring long-term success of their Impact 360 deployments. Key Responsibilities: • Managed strategic relationships with five major Financial Services clients, meeting regularly with stakeholder groups (5–10 representatives per client) to assess progress, troubleshoot issues, and mitigate risks • Designed, developed, tested, and deployed technical solutions to address system performance issues and configuration challenges • Built custom reporting and modeling enhancements based on client-specific requirements • Delivered consultative guidance to streamline business processes and align operations more closely with Impact 360 capabilities Key Achievements: • Successfully closed all legacy support cases by implementing a mix of software patches, training programs, and forecast model optimizations—significantly improving platform performance and user satisfaction

  • Consultant, Professional Services | Verint Workforce Optimisation | Financial Services Sector at NEXA Pty Ltd
    Feb 2011 - Apr 2012 · 1 yr 3 mos

    Led the implementation and enhancement of Verint’s Impact 360 Workforce Optimisation solutions across Retail Financial Services clients, managing cross-functional client resources within a matrix environment. Focused on end-to-end project delivery, stakeholder alignment, and process improvement to drive measurable outcomes. Key Responsibilities: • Delivered full lifecycle implementations of Impact 360 using PRINCE2 methodologies, covering pre-sales support, project planning, risk and issue management, solution design, development, installation, UAT, and post-implementation review • Managed and executed targeted health-check programs to identify optimisation opportunities within existing client environments • Designed and implemented forecast modelling and reporting enhancements, tailoring solutions to client-specific workforce strategies Key Achievement: • Recognised by both Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s GM for Retail Banking and Verint’s MD Asia-Pacific for delivering one of the most successful Impact 360 implementations in RFS history—on time and under budget