From Banking to Treasury: The Career Move That Seemed Like a Step Back But It Wasn’t

What if the smartest career move you could make looked like a step backwards?

In this episode, Keith Gaub, Vice President and Assistant Treasurer at Bristol-Myers Squibb, shares how taking a pay and title cut led him to one of the most rewarding chapters of his treasury career -and why playing the long game is the ultimate career strategy.

Keith Gaub is the Vice President and Assistant Treasurer at Bristol-Myers Squibb, a global biopharmaceutical company.

With prior roles at Lehman Brothers, Barclays, and Zoetis, Keith brings deep experience across banking, corporate treasury, and investor relations. His journey reflects the power of strategic career transitions, calculated risk-taking, and building treasury operations from the ground up.

Main topics discussed:

• Why Keith left a leadership role in banking to join a fledgling corporate treasury team
• The sacrifices (and eventual payoffs) of stepping “back” in title and compensation
• How Keith helped build a treasury department from scratch at Zoetis
• Navigating the 2008 financial crisis from inside Lehman Brothers
• Transitioning from technical finance to people management and leadership
• The mindset of deliberate, long-term career planning
• The evolving role of treasury in M&A, forecasting, and risk management
• The importance of mentorship, team culture, and maintaining strong professional networks

You can connect with Keith Gaub on LinkedIn.

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