Lessons From a 25-Year Treasury Career: How Transparency Turns Relationships Into Partnerships

Jan 20, 2026

Daniel Perez, Senior Director of Treasury at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, shares insights from his 25-year treasury career across retail, insurance, and healthcare. He emphasizes that transparency and trust transform banking relationships into strategic partnerships. Daniel discusses the importance of treasury as a collaborative function, the value of operational rigor, and the evolving role of treasury analysts. He advocates for continuous learning and encourages professionals to speak up about their accomplishments to drive career growth.

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ANECDOTE

Operational Foundations Then Global Move

At Bed Bath & Beyond Daniel learned core operational treasury tasks like cash management and positive pay.
He later sought global exposure and moved into treasury at ACE/Chubb to expand into FX and international work.

ADVICE

Learn By Asking And Helping

Ask subject-matter experts lots of questions and pick their brains to learn a new industry.
Offer to help them in return so you build collaborative relationships while learning.

INSIGHT

Treasury Is The Business Bridge

Treasury acts as the internal and external bridge for solving payment and receivable problems.
Treat banking relationships as partnerships, not mere vendor contacts.

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What turns a good treasury professional into a great one?

According to Daniel Perez, it’s not just technical skill - it’s transparency, trust, and never settling for the status quo.

In this episode, he shares what he's learned over a 25-year journey through retail, insurance, and healthcare, revealing how to build a resilient career and a truly strategic treasury function.

This week’s guest is Daniel Perez, Senior Director of Treasury at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. With a treasury career spanning over two decades and three major industries - retail, insurance, and healthcare - Daniel offers an insider’s perspective on how to grow your treasury expertise, lead high-performing teams, and drive meaningful partnerships both inside and outside your organization.

Whether you're early in your treasury career or preparing for a senior leadership role, this episode offers a roadmap for long-term success. Daniel shares hard-earned lessons on navigating industry changes, leading through transition, and transforming treasury into a strategic partner within the business.

What We Cover in This Episode:

Daniel’s unconventional entry into treasury - and why he never looked back
The differences (and similarities) in treasury across retail, insurance, and healthcare
How to transition from contributor to decision-maker
Building internal partnerships: why treasury is more than numbers
Why transparency is the foundation of long-term banking relationships
The role of systems and operations in future-proofing treasury
How Daniel navigated leadership succession and team-building at Horizon
The growing importance of strategic thinking and systemic processes
Thoughts on AI, fraud prevention, and digital treasury transformation
Why every treasury pro should advocate for themselves — and how to do it

You can connect with Daniel Perez on LinkedIn.

Other episodes mentioned:

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