Treasury and tax are often treated as separate functions, but when capital, cash, risk, debt, and business strategy are all connected, working in silos can create costly problems.
In this episode, we chat with Robert Westreich, Senior Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Tax Officer at Newell Brands and explore why modern treasury leaders need curiosity, cross-functional awareness, and strong communication to make better decisions for the business.
Robert currently serves as Senior Vice President, Treasurer, and Chief Tax Officer of Newell Brands, where he leads the company’s global tax, treasury, and global business services organizations.
On the podcast Robert shares how his career evolved from tax into treasury, and how intellectual curiosity helped him move across functions, build broader business understanding, and take on increasingly complex leadership responsibilities.
The conversation explores the powerful connection between tax and treasury, particularly around cash movement, capital structure, debt management, repatriation, acquisitions, divestitures, and risk. Robert explains why treasury professionals do not need to become tax experts, but they do need to understand how tax decisions can affect treasury outcomes, and vice versa.
The episode also covers leadership, team empowerment, AI in finance, and practical career advice for treasury professionals at every level.
What We Cover in This Episode:
- How curiosity helped Robert move from tax into treasury leadership.
- Why tax, treasury, legal, and business strategy are more connected than ever.
- The hidden tension between tax efficiency and treasury’s need for cash.
- Why siloed teams can accidentally disrupt major transactions.
- How tax and treasury meetings create better visibility and fewer surprises.
- What treasury leaders must understand about debt, credit ratings, covenants, and capital structure.
- How to lead complex global teams without getting lost in the detail.
- Why empowered people are essential for managing fast-moving workstreams.
- Where AI can genuinely improve treasury, tax, and finance processes.
- Why AI still needs human judgment when mistakes can cost millions.
- How early-career treasury professionals can turn repetitive work into career advantage.
- Why putting your hand up can open doors long before a formal review.
You can connect with Robert Westreich on LinkedIn.
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