Mobilizing cash quickly, safely and cost-effectively during adisaster is unfamiliar territory for most corporate treasurers. ButRemi Obert, director of finance for the French branch of DoctorsWithout Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the humanitarianaid organization, does it all the time. It's his job to turn cashinto urgently needed medical equipment and supplies for devastatedareas like Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and Japan in the wake ofthis year's disasters.

The secret, Obert says, is to start with international reserves(typically six to nine months' expenditures, or $400 millionto $600 million) that can be monetized and moved quickly,centralize as much of the spending as possible at headquarters, andorganize a flexible, responsive network of global accounts forreceiving and concentrating donations.

“We try to anticipate what we'll need, so we can respond toemergencies quickly before receiving dedicated funds,” Obert says.“We have a centralized 'emergency desk' at headquarters staffedwith people who specialize in designing and implementing emergencyresponse plans. The primary cash flows for purchasing medicalequipment, drugs, tents, transportation and salaries of people onthe ground at the emergency site are all ordered and funded by thatdesk. Import constraints generally are waived for emergencyresponse. We saw that in Haiti.”