Happy Summer! As we head into TMAC’s summer break, I wanted to share a few updates—and yes, give everyone full permission to briefly step away from spreadsheets and market updates.

We’ve had a strong run of monthly meetings featuring thoughtful and engaging presentations.  While the Windy City Summit continues to navigate the post-COVID landscape, it was encouraging to see corporate attendance trend upward this past conference.  Looking ahead, we announced the 2027 WCS conference will move to the Sheraton Hotel.  After many years at Navy Pier, it was time for a thoughtful pivot.  We believe this new venue will better support the evolving format of the conference and enhance the overall attendee experience.

Banker’s Day was another success, and we mixed things up this year by swapping the Cubs Rooftop for a lively outing at Topgolf in Schaumburg.  Early reviews suggest that while treasury professionals are excellent at managing risk and investments, for many our golf swings remain… a work in progress.

As I begin to wind down my term as President, I want to extend my sincere thanks to the Board for their dedication, time, and hard work. TMAC thrives because of this team’s commitment.  Please join me in recognizing the 2025–2026 Board:

• Jennie Cole (VP)
• Brad Schuller (Treasurer)
• Dan Nowak (Secretary)
• Rob Chan (President Emeritus)
• Tricia Kelly & Joe Stolz (WCS Co-Chairs)
• Chris Chong & Chris Kelle (Meeting Site Co-Chairs)
• David Woodhams & Alex Siharat (Program Co-Chairs)
• Petar Tomicic (Membership)
• Mannu Sekhon (Academic Relations)
• Hugh Nanninga (Website/Social)
• Gary Silha (Policy)

A special thank you as well to Norm Goldstein for his work on the WCS contract negotiations—no small feat, and greatly appreciated.  Additionally, thank you to all the committee members for your support and assistance.

I encourage all members to stay engaged—whether by attending meetings,  sharing TMAC with colleagues or potential members, or supporting WCS.  Our collective involvement is what keeps TMAC strong and positions us to develop the next generation of leaders.  

Finally, a big thank you to GSS for their ongoing support. Kim, Kathleen, and Landon—your efforts behind the scenes make everything possible.

It has been a privilege to serve as President and to engage with this outstanding association.  Wishing you all a relaxing and enjoyable summer.

Sunil Patel

TMAC President

https://www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/75f130a7-48ab-408a-b79a-4120e7c88013

We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Windy City Summit!

It is a pleasure to introduce Cathy McGarry as our TMAC member of the month

What first interested you in Treasury? The dynamic world of Treasury captured my interest after starting my career in banking and financial operations. What I enjoy most about Treasury is its diverse scope - from Banking and Working Capital to Payments, Investments and Technology - there's always something new to learn.

What was the best career advice anyone ever gave you? Throughout my career journey, I've been fortunate to have sponsors who encouraged my professional growth. My favorite piece of leadership advice compares the role to conducting an orchestra: some days you're leading the entire ensemble toward a common goal, while other days you're the lead violinist focusing on specific organizational areas while collaborating across teams.

How has your participation in the Windy City Summit and/or membership in TMAC been of value to you? TMAC has been instrumental in both my personal and professional development through educational sessions, leadership roles and CTP classes at the Windy City Summit. The most rewarding aspect has been connecting with the incredible treasury professionals who make up our local and regional community.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about joining TMAC or attending the Windy City Summit? For anyone considering joining TMAC or attending the Windy City Summit - absolutely do it! The Summit is an outstanding annual conference that offers valuable insights into industry trends alongside networking opportunities with experts.

Happy Holidays!

I can’t believe it’s already December and as we approach the end of the year, I’d like to reflect on our achievements and look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. 

In November, we celebrated TMAC’s 50th anniversary with a casino themed style party.  Wow, I can’t believe TMAC and I share the same “birth” year.  TMAC and WCS has faced some challenging times post Covid, however, we are continually looking for new and exciting ways to increase membership and ensure the continued success of the Windy City Summit.  With that being said, I encourage all members to contribute ideas for 2025 WCS (and beyond), help us connect potential sponsors and exhibitors, and spread the word of TMAC to your Treasury and Finance network.  Your involvement is crucial to the continued success and growth of our association. 

I want to express my deep appreciation to our dedicated Board Officers for all their hard work. The officers are Petar Tomicic (Vice President), Melanie Kvistad (Treasurer), Dan Nowak (Secretary) and Rob Chan (President Emeritus).

Gary Silha and Tricia Kelly are working tirelessly on the 2025 Windy City Summit. As mentioned previously, it really takes full participation from our membership to have a successful conference so please provide any input and insights to the co-chairs. 

We’ve had several great meetings and programs thus far, thanks to Jennie Cole and Chris Chong on Meeting Site and Bradley Schuller and Mannu Sekhon on Program.

Vikas Jhangiani and David Woodhams are working diligently on Academic Relations and Membership, respectively.

Patrick Yappel, our Policy Chair, and Hugh Nanninga, our Website and Social Media Chair, are working hard in their respective areas. I strongly encourage all members to sign into the TMAC Community and check it frequently.  Your active participation strengthens our Community.

And a special thanks to Norm Goldstein, our expert contract negotiator, for working on the Navy Pier and Sheraton contracts related to WCS.   

I want to thank all of the board members for their dedication, commitment, and service to TMAC. Additionally, thank you to the membership for shaping TMAC into the great association that it is.

Finally, a special acknowledgment goes to GSS - Kim, Landon, Sue, and Kathleen – for their invaluable support and assistance.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season and a prosperous New Year!  I look forward to seeing you in 2025 as we continue to build on TMAC’s impressive 50-year history.

Sunil Patel

TMAC President

https://windycitysummit.org/present/

Please submit your Call for Presentations to the link below.

https://www.cvent.com/c/abstracts/7b73a74a-6048-4f8d-aedb-e18d9e94f7f1

We look forward to seeing you at the 2025 Windy City Summit!

It is a pleasure to introduce Kelly Ragonese as our TMAC member of the month. Kelly is currently the Treasurer at The Boler Company. Prior to that role, she held various positions within the Treasury and Accounting departments. She began her career at the CPA firm of Nykiel, Carlin & Company.

Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Northern Illinois University along with an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Additionally, she is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Treasury Professional. Her favorite hobbies include spending time with family and friends, traveling, and watching sports. She also plays on a summer beach volleyball team.

She has served on the TMAC Board as the Treasurer and is currently involved with the Windy City Summit Program Committee. Thank you for being an important part of our professional community!

What first interested you in Treasury? When I was asked to join the Treasury team at Boler, I honestly wasn’t sure what I was getting into.  I figured this involved bank reconciliations and check clearings.  Wow was I clueless!  Since then, our team has been able to centralize and automate many processes and systems that our entire company uses today.

What Treasury career advice would you give to someone else? I know it may seem scary but try something new if you have the opportunity.  I started off in accounting and now run the Treasury department, which was never my dream when I left NIU.  Also, treat others with respect, be willing to listen, and put in the time to learn and accomplish what you are passionate about.

How has your participation in the Windy City Summit and/or membership in TMAC been of value to you?  I have met and become great friends with so many of the other TMAC members over the years.  I have also gained so much knowledge in attending the monthly TMAC meetings and listening to the speakers at the annual WCS conferences.  Being part of TMAC has been a huge help in growing my career and becoming a much stronger person.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about joining TMAC or attending the Windy City Summit? It’s a great opportunity to meet people that have the same career interests as yourself and always learn something new.  We have been known to have a little fun along the way too!

TMAC is proud to highlight Robert “Bob” Walsh as our member of the month!  Bob holds the position as CFO of SGW Architecture & Design. Bob’s wealth of knowledge and years of experience is great to have within our professional community. His academic background includes a BA from Lewis University and MBA from DePaul University. Some of his favorite hobbies are fishing and reading. Thank you Bob for being a member since 2015, we appreciate you!

Question: What first interested you in Treasury?

Answer: The opportunity to affect the business’ success through financial management, i.e. establishing framework and practices that best support organization’s ambitions

Question: What was the best career advice anyone ever gave you?

Answer: Years ago I was advised to get involved in peer groups, like TMAC, and several others. On the whole, the groups I’ve belonged to have made a tremendous positive impact on my career. The cumulative effect of having listened to other’s practices, successes, failures, experiences is immeasurable.

Question: How has your participation in the TMAC and Windy City Summit been of value to you?

Answer: Similar to above, the simple learning I’ve experienced over the years has been a remarkable influence on my path. It’s hard to imagine being in a position to influence my organization without having been a member of TMAC or attending WCS events.

This month’s member highlight is Chris Kelle, Treasury Manager at Antylia Scientific.

After graduating from University of Illinois at Chicago, Chris started his career in Treasury with Discover Financial Services. His career has spanned over the last sixteen years and he still enjoys the impactful role that Treasury has on organizations in so many areas. Chris is one of our newer members, it has been great to see his engagement and ambition. You can find him at most meetings and events. One of his favorite hobbies outside of work is music and you can find him playing the role of musician.

Question: What first interested you in Treasury?

Answer: I was looking for any finance or accounting job to start my career and ended up being recruited by Paylocity at a college job fair. It just so happened that the only finance job they had was in Treasury and now I have now been working in Treasury 16 years and counting.

Question: What was the best career advice anyone ever gave you?

Answer: Take chances. I took a risk moving to a much smaller company three years ago, and it turned out the Treasury Manager was looking for a replacement. After working nearly 10 years in a senior analyst role, I was finally able to pivot into management. I wish I would have taken more risks earlier in my career.

Question: How has your participation in the Windy City Summit and/or membership in TMAC been of value to you?

Answer: Keeping ahead of new trends in Treasury, learning about some of the aspects of Treasury I have not been exposed to in my current job and connecting with peers.

Question What would you tell someone who is thinking about joining TMAC or attending the Windy City Summit?

Answer: If you want to get ahead at your job or in your career, they are both great networking and learning opportunities. 

It is a pleasure to introduce Isabella Angel as our January professional of the month and one of our former NIU TMAC Treasury Interns!  Isabella graduated from NIU with a Finance degree and currently works in Treasury for Beam Suntory, Inc. She is an active member and recently served on our Board of Directors as Membership Chair. We are fortunate to have her fresh perspective and creativity. Some of Isabella’s favorite hobbies include traveling, cooking, and gaming.

Question: What first interested you in Treasury?  As I was studying finance I learned of treasury. It seemed to be a niche between the two subjects I liked, Banking and Corporate Finance.

Question: What was the best career advice anyone ever gave you?  “We’re businessmen with art degrees.”

Question: What Treasury career advice would you give to someone else?   I should be taking my own advice, probably getting an MBA and the CTP.

Question: How has your participation in the Windy City Summit and/or membership in TMAC been of value to you? Invaluable. I owe my career trajectory and growth to the connections I’ve made through the TMAC community.

Question: What would you tell someone who is thinking about joining TMAC or attending the Windy City Summit? Besides the career, and the obvious education and network growth, in the digitized world, TMAC is a great community to see in person. We have a lot of fun, and we have a lot of great people with great stories (work-related or not). Join, sign up, and do it yesterday!

Happy Holidays! I can’t believe this is already December and almost year's end. Hope you are getting ready for the holidays and will be able to unplug for a little while.

While we are nearing the end of another calendar year, the first half of our TMAC program year is almost over! Looking back on the year, I think it’s been great. Windy City Summit was a success. We have better things to look forward to as we have a new conference management company and some exciting new events for WCS 2024.

Speaking of 2024… it was brought to my attention that this will be TMAC’s 50 anniversary! TMAC officially started in 1974. We will be looking for ways to celebrate this monumental achievement.

I want to thank the board for all their hard work. The officers are Petar Tomicic (Vice President), Melanie Kvistad (Treasurer), Barbara Erdman (Secretary) and Patrick Yappel (President Emeritus). TMAC would not be the great organization it is without them.

Sunil Patel and Gary Silha are working hard on Windy City 2024. This will be a great conference with some new ideas and programs. This is the first year working with ROC Exhibitions, Inc, on the conference. Please let Sunil or Gary know if you see any interesting ideas from other shows. Also, if you have any contacts for potential sponsors or exhibitors, please help us make a connection. It takes a village to make a successful conference and we can’t rely only on the co-chairs to do all the work.

We’ve had several great meetings and programs so far, thanks to Kelli Perkins and Jennie Cole on Meeting Site and Rob Gosma and Bradley Schuller on Program. Recently we had a fun social event playing mini-golf. It’s always great to socialize without discussing work.

Vikas Jhangiani is continuing to work with the interns. If you are interested in interacting with the schools on career days, please let Vikas know. Having professionals speak at the finance clubs to help students understand potential future finance careers is a great way to give back and share your professional knowledge.

David Woodhams working hard on recruiting for membership. As I mentioned earlier, we are starting a new Under 40 networking group to help our young executive members connect and bond.

Mary Wallace and Cathy McGarry are working hard to keep TMAC in line for insurance and policy issues and posting great new content and keeping us all up-to-date with posts. If you have not done so, please sign into the TMAC Community and check it out regularly. You may be able to help your fellow members with challenges they may be having or get help from the Community.

And a special thanks to Norm Goldstein for working on the RFP for the location of WCS 2025 and beyond. Our contracts with Navy Pier and Hyatt Regency currently extend through 2024. Norm is working hard to make sure WCS has the best location after next year.

I want to thank all the members of the board for their dedication and commitment and ask you to say thank you to them for their service to TMAC. I also challenge everyone in the organization to find a way to step up and contribute. There are plenty of ways to contribute… attend the meetings, post on the Community Board, talk about TMAC to other finance colleagues or people you may meet in the field, or to potential WCS sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees. It takes everyone to make the TMAC organization strong and the professional values and commitment to develop the next generation will pave the road to our future for decades to come.

Finally, I want to thank GSS for all their support. We would not be able to organize everything without them. Thanks, Kim, Landon, Sue, and Kathleen.

Happy Holidays to all! Hope everyone has a safe and nice holiday season, I look forward to seeing you in the new year!

Robert Chan

TMAC President

It is a pleasure to introduce Manizha Ruzieva, Director of Treasury and Risk at The AZEK Company. Manizha has a Master of Science in Accounting and her Treasury career expands across Accenture, LSC Communications and Jenner & Block. Her hobbies include cooking, baking, yoga, traveling and watching sitcoms. Thanks for being an active part of the TMAC community.

What first interested you in Treasury? Shortly after starting my staff accountant job at Jenner & Block, a treasury analyst turned in his 2 week notice. My CFO called me in and asked if I would be interested in taking over that position and getting trained before he leaves. I was unsure since I had just graduated with my masters in accounting and passed all CPA exams, but I took a leap and accepted. I have never regretted this choice. I have felt overwhelmed at times as I only had a week of training and was reporting directly to CFO, but I it was the best way of learning the role, utilizing banking contacts as my resource, and quickly getting visibility to a lot of high-level meetings and processes.

What was the best career advice anyone ever gave you? Don’t be afraid to ask for help whether you need it to understand a concept or help with completing tasks, and even if you made a mistake (big or small). No one is perfect and asking for help means you care to learn, to deliver on time or to prevent worsening consequences.

How has your participation in the Windy City Summit been of value to you? Attending the Windy City Summit conference not only allows me to satisfy all CTP requirements, but to network, learn about best practices in the industry, etc. This year for the first time I am involved in insurance and company policy renewals for cyber, D&O, GL, property & casualty, pollution, umbrella and therefore found the Cyber & P&C sessions at WCS very informative.

What would you tell someone who is thinking about joining TMAC? There are many great advantages to joining TMAC. It is a great community of members. There are regular educational meetings that qualify for recertification hours and includes social networking time and a dinner after each. There are also stand-alone social events throughout the year for the members and their guests.

It's never been a more important time to attend Windy City Summit. This year's Co-Chair, Petar Tomicic, explains why...

"With another #bank failure this week, the 2023 Windy City Summit arrives at the perfect time. Attend educational sessions on the banking #crisis and current #economic conditions. This is an opportunity to have discussions with your peers on how they are managing their risk, while asking your third party vendor and banking relationships what solutions they can provide and what they have seen from their clients."

Join Petar - May 23 & 24 at at Navy Pier in Chicago! Register NOW  https://bit.ly/3Lggv7C