Trading Risk Management for Treasury with Dennis Morais

Foreign was the kind of the headquarters of the Latin American region for Whirlpool. Obviously everything that we did within treasury and Risk Management was following some of the global programs that Whirlpool had. Globally. An interesting fact is that when I was in high school, I went as a foreign exchange student to the US that helped me with my English. So every opportunity I had and when we had folks come to visit Brazil to learn about, you know, follow our operations and whatnot, I would be involved in trying to learn. Brazil, I think was a very important part of the business for Whirlpool, leading market share and within the Latin America region. But in treasury, obviously it was more focused on cash management, insurance and more, more the operations aspect. I always put a lot of effort to really learn and grow. Soon we became, you know, the supervisor of accounts payable there. Just trying to learn and get everything that I could be exposed to. Back in 2005, 2006, Whirlpool acquired Maytag and they were going through this major integration process there. That was when an opportunity came up here in Mental Harbor, Michigan as part of their Global treasury team within Risk Management still. And they reach out to me. If I wanted to be part of as an expatriate, come to the U.S. i didn't think one bit. I was like, yes, I would love to come and learn. I feel like with the advancing technology, with the new Treasure workstations around and the new technology that banks are providing, that I think is key to learn. But also as you mentioned, a very important part aspect about the people development, right, the young talent that's coming in, how to have them not only learn about the technical aspects about treasury, but also how to use technology towards your advantage. And it's not more technology on the aspects or I need a support from my IT team where I need a special consultant to know you. How do you. You know, oftentimes we're going through a massive implementation now. But you as a Treasury analyst, how can you learn how to program the system, maybe make changes and create that cash flow statement we need now with the balances that came last night, you know, how can you roll up your sleeves and really be resourceful from that standpoint, I was offered a position to work for a consulting firm and I was put in this project working for Financial Services, a banking organization, actually cit. Now they're owned by First Citizen Bank, I believe, but you know, they were doing a massive reengineering or replaning of the entire treasury team. They were implementing a Treasure workstation they were rewriting all their policies and just pretty much remodernizing the entire department. So was very good for me to be part of that process as well.