MUFG's Marcie Weiss on the Future of Supply Chain Finance

In today’s increasingly complex global economy, the ability to manage liquidity and fortify supply chains has become a primary differentiator for multinational success.

Leading these efforts at MUFG is Marcie Weiss, Head of Working Capital & Trade Finance, who oversees a strategic mandate to help global corporates unlock cash, strengthen resilience and establish efficient access to liquidity.

Drawing on more than four decades of experience in corporate banking and treasury advisory, Marcie manages a diverse remit that includes supply chain finance, dynamic discounting, receivables and inventory solutions and structured commodities finance across the firm’s digital platforms. Her leadership is defined by a commitment to tangible client outcomes, such as improving free cash flow and reducing operational volatility, supported by a specialised team that blends deep sector knowledge with solutions engineering.

“My team includes solution engineers, product experts, relationship bankers and distribution specialists who collaborate across regions," she says.

"We focus on operational simplicity and capital-efficient structures that support both liquidity generation and supply chain stability.”

As a leader at one of the world’s 10 largest financial institutions by assets, Marcie leverages MUFG’s 360-year heritage and unified global platform to solve complex cross-border challenges for manufacturers and distributors across the Americas, EMEA and Asia, ensuring they possess the necessary tools and insight to operate with confidence in any environment.

How are manufacturers and distributors seeing their working capital impacted by tariffs? 

Tariffs increase landed costs, lengthen inventory cycles and strain both sides of the cash conversion equation. Manufacturers must carry higher-value stock to protect against delays, while distributors face price uncertainty that affects demand planning and margin accuracy. 

Many companies also deal with suppliers that pass-through tariff-related costs, which raises accounts payable obligations and constrains liquidity more quickly. In some cases, treasurers face a diminishing buffer between forecast and actual cash positions due to rapid shifts in trade policy. 

The pressure is most visible in inventory. Higher input prices and extended delivery times often create a build-and-hold dynamic, which traps cash at the wrong stage of the cycle. 

In this environment, working capital becomes a strategic defence mechanism. Companies with diversified financing tools such as supply chain finance, receivables facilities and inventory finance, tend to navigate tariff shocks more effectively because they can release cash at different points in the flow instead of relying solely on traditional credit lines. 

What supply chain financing levers are companies prioritising? 

We see companies now prioritising solutions that create flexibility across the full cash conversion cycle, rather than relying on a single lever.

Supply chain finance remains a core priority because it supports suppliers while allowing buyers to harmonise and optimise payment terms. Dynamic discounting appeals to corporates with excess liquidity because it produces immediate, risk-free returns and strengthens supplier relationships. 

Receivables finance is gaining momentum, particularly for exporters with long transit times and for distributors that want to reduce balance sheet intensity.

Inventory finance has also become more important as companies face higher storage costs, capacity constraints and longer lead times due to geopolitical shifts.

Data visibility sits at the centre of these decisions. Treasurers want program dashboards, KPIs, ageing analytics and predictive tools that quantify the impact of each lever on free cash flow. The emphasis now falls on integrated working capital platforms, like ours at MUFG, that allow finance and procurement teams to choose the right tool at the right moment for their specific need. 

How are you helping clients support vulnerable supplier without straining liquidity?

We help clients reach their suppliers who sometimes sit outside of traditional SCF programs, often smaller vendors with limited credit access, thin margins and insufficient resources to navigate complex onboarding. Our approach combines several liquidity levers to support these suppliers without putting pressure on the buyer’s balance sheet. 

Supply chain finance remains a foundational tool for strategic and mid-tier suppliers, but long-tail suppliers often need simpler, more operationally accessible solutions. For those segments, we offer our Pay-on-Behalf (POBO) capability. POBO allows MUFG to pay suppliers directly on the buyer’s behalf, ensuring fast, predictable settlement without requiring the supplier to join a financing program. It removes friction, reduces reconciliation issues and stabilises cash flow for vendors in emerging markets or with limited banking infrastructure. 

We also design hybrid programs that use bank funding, buyer-funded dynamic discounting and POBO, enabling procurement and treasury teams to direct liquidity where it supports the most vulnerable suppliers while keeping working capital neutral or accretive. Our supplier education, onboarding support and transparent digital tools complete the ecosystem, helping clients build resilient supply chains without overextending internal liquidity. 

Which bank terms are shifting most under tariff uncertainty – and how should treasurers respond? 

Tariff uncertainty often changes risk profiles, trade patterns and collateral needs, which affects how banks structure facilities. Now, we see the greatest movement in tenor, borrowing bases and covenant definitions tied to inventory levels, receivables concentration, or commodity volatility. 

Banks also evaluate cross border exposure more closely. Shipping terms, geopolitical risk and supplier diversification can influence pricing or advance rates in trade and receivables programs. 

We see treasurers looking to respond with stronger data discipline. Real-time insight into inventory, forecast accuracy, supplier concentration and demand variability allows companies to negotiate from a position of strength. Transparency also helps banks structure facilities that match the client’s true risk, often resulting in more favourable terms. 

Thinking about optionality above all should be top of mind for treasurers. Access to multiple liquidity channels from supply chain finance, receivables finance and dynamic discounting to inventory solutions, creates resilience and reduces dependence on any single instrument during periods of tariff fluctuation. 

Looking to 2026, what changes do you expect in supply chain finance? 

We are already seeing supply chain finance operate as part of a broader working capital platform rather than a stand-alone solution and I think that will only grow stronger in 2026. Clients want a single ecosystem that connects payables, receivables and inventory with shared data, automated workflows and consistent governance. 

Technology is driving much of this shift. Advances in AI will improve risk assessment, fraud detection, cash forecasting and supplier segmentation. Treasurers will use predictive analytics to target liquidity to the suppliers or markets that need it most. 

Regulatory attention will continue, particularly regarding transparency and the financial health of suppliers. Companies that treat supply chain finance as a strategic partnership, rather than a balance sheet lever, will stand out. Finally, ESG considerations will shape program design, especially outside of the US.  Buyers will use supply chain finance, dynamic discounting, Pay-on-Behalf, e-payables and commercial card solutions to support small, diverse and sustainable suppliers and to measure upstream resilience more rigorously. 

The future favours integrated solutions, stronger supplier ecosystems and data-driven decisions that enhance free cash flow and operational stability.