David Tarlow CTP

CTP Profile: Never Stop Learning 

David Tarlow, CTP, Executive Director & Treasury Sales Group Manager, JPMorgan Chase & Co. 

David Tarlow, CTP, has his friend to thank for his start in the field of treasury. After serving in the role of analyst on the operations side of banking for a few different entities, a friend of his asked him to apply for an associate role on a commercial banking treasury sales team. “Thankfully, my interviews went well, and I was given the great opportunity to enter the world of treasury,” said Tarlow. “That was almost 15 years ago, and I have made treasury my career — and my passion — ever since.”

Fast-forward to today 

Today, Tarlow is an executive director and Treasury Sales Group manager for JPMorgan Chase & Co., where he helps his team generate new opportunities to assist clients with their day-to-day business operations. He also works to stay on top of treasury trends and share new technology and product innovations with his team. Networking, both internally and externally, with the company’s product partners and other sales professionals across the U.S. is also important to their success, and is therefore another of Tarlow’s chief responsibilities.  

Tarlow credits his morning routine, at least in part, with his success. He gets into the office at least an hour before his first scheduled meeting, and spends the first hour looking at sales data, reviewing the team’s activity and doing administrative work. “This helps me get into the right mindset and to focus on what needs to be done during the rest of the day,” he said.  

He also reads several newspapers every morning and is a huge fan of books about business. “I have way too many in my library,” said Tarlow. “I try to read at least one business book a month on a variety of topics.” 

Having managed sales teams for seven years, it is the opportunities for advancement that he has been able to give others that he is most proud of. “I love seeing my team members mature in their roles, expand their product and sales knowledge and do amazing things with their business.  It makes me very proud and happy that I could play a small role in their development,” he said.  

The evolution of technology is a challenge

The most critical treasury issue he is facing today is how to handle the evolution of new technologies and payment methods, which have greatly impacted how their clients do business. “Innovations in treasury technology have increased at a faster pace in the past 10 years than ever before; it’s important that we continually touch base with clients to make sure they are aware of new tools and are making the best use of our offerings,” he said. Fraud prevention also continues to be an important topic; they are always looking for new and better ways to keep their clients safe. 

How does Tarlow approach these challenges? “I am a perpetual student,” he said. “It is so important to keep learning more about all aspects of treasury. Even though I haven’t been in school for years, I still see myself as a lifelong student and try to learn something new about our products and our business every day.” 

Fortunately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. invests heavily in new treasury technology, both internally and through fintech partnerships, so Tarlow spends quite a bit of time learning about and contributing to the new treasury solutions they offer. “The investments we are making in technology now will allow us to develop world-class solutions for our clients in the future,” he said.  

Looking to the future

The rise of blockchain technology is of great interest to Tarlow, and he would like to study its applications more as it applies to the work his team does and the products they use. He is also researching the evolution of digital currency, where he sees a lot of advances being made in different countries such as China.   

While Tarlow is very happy with what he’s doing now, he would happily step up to the challenge of managing a national treasury sales team sometime in the future. He also feels the call of the entrepreneurial world and would like to start his own business someday.  

Earning the CTP came with a lot of benefits 

“The CTP designation was something I aspired to attain since I began my treasury career, as I wanted more in-depth knowledge of treasury management that I hadn’t learned in my college courses,” said Tarlow. Several members of his team already had their CTP and encouraged him to sit for it. “Studying for the exam really opened my eyes to different aspects of a corporate treasurer’s day-to-day business,” he said. “Luckily, I was getting my MBA around the same time as I was preparing to take the CTP exam, so I treated it like a final exam and put a lot of effort into studying for it.” 

Making a lot of great friends and new work acquaintances through the CTP and the local AFP chapters is just one aspect of what the certification has done for him. Tarlow gave us a whole list of benefits, including how preparing for the exam enhanced his ability to understand different aspects of his clients’ day-to-day needs, gave him a deeper knowledge of regulatory guidelines, helped him learn more about international treasury practices, allowed him to understand financial formulas he still uses today, and much more. “Obtaining the CTP gave me the self-confidence and overall treasury knowledge to advance to the next stage in my career,” he said.  

When asked if he would recommend the CTP to others, Tarlow said, “Absolutely. In my mind, someone who has their CTP has put time and effort into learning more about all of the different aspects of treasury management, and as a manager, I appreciate people who have chosen to undertake that study. Most job opportunities in the treasury space say that a CTP is preferred, and it’s nice to know that the skills covered in the CTP exam are valued and marketable.”   

Learn more about the corporate treasury profession through original content and resources available only on AFP's website. You can also get started on your journey to earning your CTP here.

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