Three days in Barcelona: key takeaways from EuroFinance 2026
Hellos Members of APEF,
What a week it was in Barcelona!
From September 16th to 18th, more than 2,600 treasury professionals gathered for the EuroFinance International Treasury Management conference. The event included more than 180 speakers and over 50 case studies examining how the profession is responding to the rapidly evolving business environment.
The conference opened with keynote sessions from Justin Trudeau, Canada’s former prime minister, and Margrethe Vestager, former executive vice-president of the European Commission, who spoke about the geopolitical and macroeconomic trends shaping the world of treasury.
Trudeau explained that the current tension between Canada and the United States is more than a temporary disruption. It is forcing Canadian businesses and consumers to reassess their dependence on their southern neighbour and accelerating the country’s shift towards a more diversified economic model.
Vestager then discussed the difficult choices facing Europe and the prospect of European competitiveness. Rapid technological change, intensifying competition from China and the effects of climate change are reshaping the continent’s economic outlook, Vestager told delegates at EuroFinance 2026.
The programme then shifted to practical sessions that addressed the operational challenges and opportunities in the treasury profession. Across more than 70 case studies, panel discussions and presentations, treasurers shared tips and best practices on using AI, improving cash forecasting, strengthening fraud prevention, managing liquidity ,developing stronger banking relationships and navigating geopolitical and regulatory uncertainty.
The conversations continued outside of the presentations, too. Dedicated roundtable rooms gave practitioners the chance to debate specific challenges in smaller groups and workshop strategies to overcome common roadblocks. Meanwhile, Treasury Match, EuroFinance’s new algorithm-based networking service, brought together treasurers and banking partners for more focused discussions and high-impact industry connections.
There was also an opportunity to celebrate the profession at the Treasury Excellence Awards, which recognised the teams and individuals making a contribution to treasury and demonstrating what the function can achieve.
For many attendees, often the most valuable insights involve not what treasurers are doing now but what they should do next to prepare for the future. AI implementation dominated many discussions, but that wasn’t the only story. The conference revealed that treasurers are keen to make the most of new technology but seek to balance it with old fundamentals. At companies of all sizes, treasury professionals are increasingly being asked to play a more strategic role in the business. Senior leaders shared plenty of insight into building stronger partnerships and developing greater buy-in across the organisation.
Sessions and talks
Financial regulation is becoming a treasury concern
AI is changing the workplace, but its effect may be less about eliminating jobs than reshaping the work that humans actually do. In the session AI: the next chapter, the presenter discussed how technology is changing job roles, altering skill requirements and redefining the relationship between employers and employees. Read more
Will AI ever deliver on its productivity promises?
In a session on trapped cash, panellists discussed a familiar dilemma: cash can be abundant at group level but inaccessible across the organisation. Moving trapped cash is not easy. Regulation and local banking infrastructure, among other factors, determine what is possible. Read more
EuroFinance 2026 is behind us, but many of the questions raised in Barcelona will continue to shape treasury in the months ahead. The challenge now is to turn the conference insights and takeaways into action.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Barcelona and made this event possible. We look forward to welcoming all of the treasury community in Amsterdam next year for EuroFinance International Treasury Management 2027.
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Kind regards,
The EuroFinance Team