CFOs, Treasurers to Discuss 'New Normal' Financial Environment

Announcing AFP's Sixth Annual Global Corporate Treasurers Forum

WASHINGTON, March 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Chief financial officers and treasurers will convene in Washington in May to discuss how to operate in the "new normal" financial environment.

The Association for Financial Professional's Global Corporate Treasurers Forum, now in its sixth year, will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, May 16-18, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch as the exclusive sponsor.  The beautiful Georgetown venue is in close proximity to the regulators who typically participate in this event.

"AFP members have played a critical role in maintaining the financial stability of their organizations through the recession," said Jim Kaitz, president and CEO of AFP. "Now they are moving forward based on new economic realities."

A panel including CFOs from McCormick and the Ratner Companies will explain their approaches to managing up and down within their organizations, addressing issues raised by the CEO and the board of directors.  A senior editor of the Harvard Business Review will moderate.

By looking at what is driving a company, finance chiefs can formulate expectations for their treasurers and the treasury department they manage.  Another panel including treasurers from Yahoo! Inc. and Global Container Terminals will discuss how treasury is re-educating itself to operate efficiently by utilizing resources effectively and increasing productivity. This discussion will help other treasurers understand how to improve operations, bank relationship management, investments, foreign exchange and investor relations.

"Bank of America Merrill Lynch is proud to sponsor this gathering of financial executives, which comes during a pivotal period for the treasury management industry," said Dub Newman, Global Treasury Executive at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "These discussions should prove invaluable to providing treasurers and executives with a deeper understanding of key issues and meaningful solutions to help businesses optimize their working capital."

Other topics will include financial regulatory reform, implications of derivative accounting, counterparty risk, and the pace of change in capital markets.  To underscore the importance of these issues, a parallel Global Corporate Treasurers Forum Europe will take place in London the following month.

For more information on the Global Corporate Treasurers Forum, see www.afponline.org/gctf

ABOUT AFP® (www.afponline.org)

The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP) serves a network of more than 16,000 treasury and finance professionals. Headquartered outside Washington, DC, AFP provides members with news, economic research and data on the evolving world of treasury and finance, as well as treasury certification programs, networking events, financial analytical tools, training, and public policy representation to legislators and regulators. AFP is the daily resource for treasury and finance professionals.

AFP's global reach extends to over 150,000 treasury and financial professionals worldwide, including AFP of Canada; London-based gtnews, an on-line resource for the treasury and finance community; and bobsguide, a financial IT solutions network.

ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small- and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 59 million consumer and small business relationships with 6,000 retail banking offices, more than 18,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 30 million active users. Bank of America is among the world's leading wealth management companies and is a global leader in corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to more than 4 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients in more than 150 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the marketing name for the global banking and global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation.  Lending, derivatives, and other commercial banking activities are performed globally by banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation, including Bank of America, N.A., member FDIC.  Securities, strategic advisory, and other investment banking activities are performed globally by investment banking affiliates of Bank of America Corporation ("Investment Banking Affiliates"), including, in the United States, Banc of America Securities LLC and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, which are both registered broker-dealers and members of FINRA and SIPC, and, in other jurisdictions, locally registered entities.  Investment products offered by Investment Banking Affiliates:  Are Not FDIC Insured * May Lose Value * Are Not Bank Guaranteed

www.bankofamerica.com

SOURCE Association for Financial Professionals