BofA sees treasury roles shifting toward strategic advisory

Clients are holding more liquidity in Singapore amid uncertainty.

Relationship managers and private bankers are taking on broader advisory roles as clients seek guidance on trade corridor shifts, war risks, and liquidity management, an executive at Bank of America Corp. (BofA) said.

“Clients today expect us to connect the dots across products, markets, and platforms, provide them with forward-looking insights on macro, FX (foreign exchange), and liquidity trends, and help translate complexity into actionable treasury strategies,” Christian Stolcke, head of financial institutions and governments at BofA’s Global Payments Solutions unit, told Asian Banking & Finance.

He said treasury functions are becoming more central to corporate decision-making as clients prioritise resilience over efficiency in trade, investment, and liquidity management.

“As treasury itself moves from the back office to the boardroom as a strategic function, relationship managers are increasingly acting as advisors on resilience, capital efficiency, and transformation,” he said in an emailed reply to questions.

Clients are also reshaping funding and liquidity strategies as cross-border flows increasingly shift towards regional corridors rather than global ones, Stolcke said.

“Clients are increasingly diversifying counterparties and funding sources to reduce concentration risk,” he said. “Liquidity is being kept closer to home markets.”

He said the trend is unfolding alongside regulatory changes tied to artificial intelligence (AI) and digital assets, increasing both payment options and fragmentation across financial systems.

BofA said clients are focusing on real-time treasury management, automated workflows, and tools that help manage liquidity across different currencies.

The bank also sees growth opportunities in real-time payments, digital money, trade digitisation, and supply chain finance. Stolcke said the Asia-Pacific region remains a key focus because of rising regional capital flows and investment.

Singapore serves as BofA’s regional liquidity and treasury hub and is increasingly being used by clients as a base for cash and risk management activities, he pointed out.

“For us, Singapore is not just a booking center,” Stolcke said. “It is a strategic platform for growth, innovation, and client engagement across the Asia-Pacific.”

He added that periods of uncertainty have increased the appeal of Singapore, with clients keeping more funds in the city-state as part of their risk management strategies.

Stolcke said BofA has introduced AI-powered payment tools such as CashPro and i-Receivables to improve domestic and cross-border payments.