Starting a career in treasury can feel intimidating. The numbers are big, the consequences are real, and the room is often filled with people who have been doing this work for decades. Decisions made in treasury do not stay theoretical for long. They affect cash availability, business continuity, and trust across the organization. In this environment, credibility is not optional. It is foundational. Without it, even the best analysis struggles to carry weight. For early career professionals, that reality becomes clear very quickly. Credibility is something that must be earned early, built carefully, and reinforced consistently over time.
Ed Farrow, Senior Treasury Analyst at JCB, understands this reality well. From the start of his career, he saw that credibility in treasury does not come from sounding confident or holding the right job title. It comes from how you show up every day. From being prepared when questions arise, from following through on commitments, and from taking responsibility for the details others rely on. Much of this work happens quietly, without recognition, and often when no one is watching. Yet over time, those small, consistent actions shape how colleagues, stakeholders, and partners learn to trust you.
Why credibility matters so early in treasury
Treasury and trust go hand in hand
Treasury sits close to risk in a way few other functions do. Cash, liquidity, funding, and financial exposure are not abstract ideas or long term considerations. They influence whether a business can operate smoothly from one day to the next. When treasury works well, the impact is felt across the organization, even if it is rarely visible.
Because of this proximity to risk, trust becomes essential. Stakeholders need to believe that treasury understands what it is doing, often before results are visible or confirmed. They rely on treasury to see problems early, assess them accurately, and act in the best interest of the business. That trust is built over time, through consistent decisions and reliable outcomes.
Unlike many other roles, treasury frequently deals with decisions that cannot be easily reversed. Once a payment is made, a hedge is placed, or funding is secured, the consequences are real. There is little room for trial and error. That reality makes credibility a requirement, not a bonus. Without it, treasury’s input struggles to carry the weight it needs to influence decisions.
Responsibility before authority
Many early career treasurers encounter a surprising dynamic. Responsibility often arrives before authority. You may find yourself monitoring cash positions, supporting funding activities, or helping manage financial exposures long before you feel fully confident in your own expertise.
This gap can feel uncomfortable. You are expected to contribute meaningfully while still learning the role. Yet it is precisely in this space that credibility begins to take shape. How you handle responsibility, even when you are still finding your footing, leaves a lasting impression.
Showing care, asking the right questions, and taking ownership of your work matters more than projecting certainty. Over time, these early experiences become the foundation on which trust is built, both in your own confidence and in how others perceive you.
Meeting Ed Farrow
Starting a treasury career at JCB
Ed Farrow joined JCB straight from his academic studies, stepping directly into a global treasury environment with real responsibility from the outset. There was no extended adjustment period or theoretical runway. From day one, his work connected to real decisions with real consequences for the business.
Treasury at JCB spans international operations, liquidity management, and financial risk. That means cash flows across borders, exposure to market movements, and decisions that support the day to day functioning of a global organization. Being part of that environment early in his career made it clear that treasury is not an abstract discipline. It is practical, time sensitive, and closely tied to how the business operates.
The learning curve was steep, and expectations were high. There was little room to observe from the sidelines. Instead, Ed was expected to engage, learn quickly, and take ownership of his responsibilities. That intensity shaped how he approached his role and how seriously he took the trust placed in him.
Learning treasury from the inside
Rather than rotating through multiple functions or learning treasury at a distance, Ed learned by doing. He experienced treasury from the inside, seeing how decisions moved from analysis to action and how those actions affected the wider business.
This hands on exposure helped him understand not just what needed to be done, but why it mattered. Cash visibility was not just a report. It was a prerequisite for confident decision making. Risk management was not a theoretical exercise. It was about protecting the business from real uncertainty.
Learning treasury this way shaped how Ed thought about credibility from the start. Being close to the impact of decisions made it clear that credibility is built through care, attention to detail, and a strong understanding of the business context behind the numbers.
The reality of being early career in treasury
Age, experience, and perception
One of the first challenges many early career treasurers encounter is perception. Age can work against you, especially in a function where responsibility is high and experience is often equated with credibility. In meetings with banks, auditors, or senior stakeholders, assumptions are made quickly. Experience is often assumed rather than tested, and credibility is not automatic.
Ed experienced this dynamic early on. Sitting at the table with people who had spent years, sometimes decades, in finance, he became aware that his voice carried weight only when it was backed by substance. Speaking louder or trying to appear more senior was not the answer. Instead, he focused on being right, being prepared, and being reliable.
Over time, that approach changed how others responded. Questions became more open. Trust increased. Credibility grew not because of how long he had been in the role, but because of how consistently he delivered. It was a reminder that in treasury, perception shifts slowly, but it shifts decisively when trust is earned.
Why treasury mistakes feel heavier
In treasury, mistakes rarely stay small. A missed payment, an incorrect assumption, or a delayed decision can have immediate and visible consequences. Cash does not wait, markets do not pause, and errors often ripple beyond the treasury function itself. This reality adds pressure, particularly when you are still learning.
For early career professionals, that pressure can feel intense. Every decision seems to carry extra weight. The margin for error feels narrow, and the cost of getting something wrong can feel personal as well as professional.
That pressure, however, can shape you in different ways. It can undermine confidence if it leads to hesitation or fear of making decisions. Or it can sharpen focus, encouraging greater preparation, attention to detail, and accountability. Ed learned to channel that pressure into discipline. By treating each task with care and learning from small missteps, he built resilience alongside credibility.
Credibility is not given
Why job titles are not enough
A job title might open the door, but it does not keep you in the room. In treasury, credibility is built through delivery rather than designation. People remember whether you follow through on commitments, whether your numbers are accurate, and whether your insights stand up when questions are asked.
Ed learned this quickly. Early on, he saw that credibility was not something you achieved once and then carried forward automatically. It had to be earned repeatedly, often in small and unremarkable moments. A report delivered on time. A question answered clearly. A risk flagged early enough to make a difference.
Over time, these moments add up. Colleagues begin to trust your input. Stakeholders rely on your assessments. Banks respond with confidence. Credibility becomes less about how you introduce yourself and more about how others speak about you when you are not in the room.
Consistency over visibility
In treasury, being visible is far less important than being consistent. Loud contributions or dramatic interventions rarely build lasting trust. What does build trust is showing up prepared, delivering what you promise, and doing it again and again without drawing attention to yourself.
Ed focused on reliability rather than recognition. He made sure his work was thorough, his assumptions were sound, and his follow through was dependable. Over time, this approach created a quiet reputation. One that did not rely on self promotion or constant visibility.
That kind of reputation travels quickly and organically. People remember who they can rely on, especially in moments of pressure. In treasury, consistency speaks louder than visibility ever could.
Earning trust through preparation
Knowing your numbers before anyone asks
Preparation is one of the most effective ways to build credibility early in treasury. Knowing your data, understanding the drivers behind it, and being able to explain it clearly makes a noticeable difference. In a function where decisions are often challenged and scrutinized, preparation creates confidence, both for you and for the people relying on your input.
Ed focused on being meticulous from the start. If a question came up, he wanted to already know the answer or, at the very least, know exactly where to find it and how quickly he could get there. That level of readiness reduced uncertainty in conversations and made interactions more productive. Instead of scrambling for information, he could focus on discussing implications and next steps.
Over time, this approach built trust. Stakeholders began to rely on his numbers, not because they were perfect, but because they were well understood and thoughtfully presented.
Anticipating questions instead of reacting
The shift from reacting to anticipating is subtle, but it is powerful. Early in a career, it is natural to respond to questions as they come. With experience and preparation, that response turns into anticipation.
When treasury professionals begin to think one step ahead, trust grows naturally. Questions are addressed before they are asked. Risks are flagged before they escalate. Conversations move faster because the groundwork has already been done.
This is where credibility starts to compound. Each prepared interaction builds on the last, creating a sense of reliability that others come to depend on.
The role of curiosity in building credibility
Curiosity plays an important role in how credibility develops over time. Asking thoughtful questions shows engagement and care, not uncertainty. Ed approached his work with a genuine desire to understand how things fit together, not just within treasury, but across the wider business.
By staying curious, he learned why certain processes existed, where assumptions came from, and how decisions affected other teams. That broader understanding strengthened his judgment and improved the quality of his contributions. Curiosity helped him move beyond execution and into insight, which is where credibility truly takes hold.
In treasury, preparation builds trust, but curiosity sustains it.
Asking better questions
Curiosity is often underestimated in treasury, especially early in a career. There can be a fear that asking questions will be seen as a lack of knowledge or confidence. Ed experienced the opposite. He found that asking thoughtful, well considered questions helped him understand the business more deeply and make better decisions.
Good questions show engagement, not weakness. They signal that you care about getting things right rather than simply getting them done. By asking why a process existed, how a number was derived, or what assumptions sat behind a decision, Ed gained insight that went beyond surface level execution. Over time, this curiosity strengthened his judgment and made his contributions more relevant.
Asking better questions also builds trust. Colleagues recognize when someone is genuinely trying to understand the bigger picture. That effort creates stronger collaboration and leads to better outcomes for the business.
Improving processes quietly
Some of the most meaningful gains in credibility come from small, quiet improvements. Not every contribution needs to be visible or celebrated to be valuable. Ed focused on identifying areas where processes could be simplified, automated, or made more reliable.
Automating a manual step, cleaning up a report, or reducing reconciliation effort may seem minor in isolation. But these changes remove friction from daily work. They save time, reduce errors, and make treasury operations smoother for everyone involved.
Often, these improvements go unnoticed in the moment. There is no announcement or recognition. Yet they change how people experience working with you. Over time, colleagues associate your work with clarity, efficiency, and reliability. That association becomes a powerful form of credibility, built quietly and sustained through consistent action.
Technology as a credibility accelerator
Using automation to reduce error
Technology played an important role in helping Ed reduce risk in day to day treasury work. Manual processes leave room for mistakes, especially when volumes are high and time pressure is constant. By automating repetitive tasks, Ed was able to remove many of those points of failure.
Automation reduced errors and increased consistency. Numbers became more reliable, processes more predictable, and outputs easier to trust. That reliability translated directly into credibility. When stakeholders no longer needed to double check the data, conversations shifted. Time was spent discussing implications rather than validating inputs.
Consistent systems create confidence. When information can be relied on, trust in the people behind it grows naturally.
Freeing time for higher value thinking
Reducing manual effort did more than improve accuracy. It changed how time was spent. Technology created space to step back and think rather than constantly react. That space allowed Ed to analyze trends, challenge assumptions, and look ahead instead of focusing solely on execution.
With fewer hours spent on repetitive tasks, he could contribute at a higher level. Discussions became more forward looking. Insights became more strategic. Over time, this shift moved his role beyond execution and into influence.
Technology did not replace judgment. It amplified it. By freeing time and reducing noise, it allowed human thinking to take center stage, which is where credibility continues to grow.
Building credibility with banks and stakeholders
Reliability as a reputation
Bank relationships depend heavily on trust. In treasury, credibility with external partners is not built through impressive language or complex explanations. It is built through reliability. Doing what you say you will do, when you say you will do it, matters more than sounding confident or sophisticated.
Ed approached these relationships with care and consistency. He focused on being dependable, accurate, and clear in every interaction. If he committed to providing information, he delivered it on time. If assumptions changed, he communicated openly. If there was uncertainty, he acknowledged it rather than overpromising.
Over time, this approach shaped how banks and stakeholders responded. Conversations became easier and more constructive. There was less friction and more collaboration. Trust reduced the need for constant verification and created space for more meaningful dialogue. Credibility, once established, made every interaction smoother.
Learning through responsibility
Growing by being trusted early
One of the most formative aspects of Ed’s career was being trusted with responsibility early on. That trust was not always comfortable. It brought pressure and raised expectations, but it also accelerated learning in a way few other experiences could.
Being responsible for real outcomes forces growth. It sharpens focus and highlights gaps in understanding quickly. Ed learned by doing, by owning his work, and by understanding the consequences of his decisions. That responsibility pushed him to prepare more thoroughly, think more critically, and act with greater confidence over time.
Training provides knowledge, but responsibility builds judgment. Being trusted early shaped Ed’s development and reinforced a core lesson of treasury. Credibility grows fastest when responsibility is real and accountability is shared.
What early career treasurers get wrong about credibility
Trying to sound senior too soon
Many early career professionals believe that credibility comes from projecting confidence or seniority before they truly feel it. In treasury, this instinct is understandable. The environment is serious, the stakes are high, and no one wants to appear unprepared. Yet trying to sound more experienced than you are often backfires.
In treasury, overstating certainty can damage trust quickly. Stakeholders value accuracy and honesty more than polished delivery. When something is presented with too much confidence and later proves incorrect, credibility takes a hit that is difficult to recover from. Ed learned that it was better to be precise than impressive.
Honesty, paired with preparation, goes much further. Saying you will confirm an answer, explaining assumptions clearly, or acknowledging uncertainty shows maturity rather than weakness. Over time, people learn that your input can be trusted because it is grounded in reality, not performance.
Lessons from Ed Farrow
Credibility is earned daily
Credibility is not a milestone that you reach and move past. It is a daily practice that is built and reinforced through small, consistent actions. Every interaction, every report, and every decision contributes to how others perceive you.
Ed’s experience shows that credibility grows through consistency, curiosity, and care. It grows when you prepare thoroughly, ask thoughtful questions, and take responsibility for your work. It grows when you follow through, communicate clearly, and remain accountable even when things are challenging.
In treasury, credibility compounds quietly. Over time, those daily habits turn into trust, and that trust becomes influence. Not because it was demanded, but because it was earned.
Conclusion
Earning credibility early in treasury is challenging, especially in a function where the stakes are high and experience is often assumed to be the primary currency. Yet it is also one of the most valuable foundations a professional can build. Ed Farrow’s perspective shows that credibility does not come from job titles, age, or confidence alone. It is built through preparation, reliability, and a genuine commitment to doing the work well, even when that work goes unnoticed.
Treasury rewards those who earn trust quietly. It rewards consistency over performance, judgment over appearance, and care over speed. Over time, that trust compounds. Conversations change, responsibilities expand, and influence grows naturally. A seat at the table is not demanded or granted all at once. It is earned through daily actions, thoughtful decisions, and the willingness to carry responsibility long before recognition follows.
