ELFA - Equipment Leasing and Finance Association - Equipping Business for Success

ELFA 2020 Business LIVE!

October 24 - October 26, 2020
Online, Washington, DC

ELFA 2020 Business LIVE!

October 24 - October 26, 2020
Online, Washington, DC

ELFA 2020 Business LIVE!

October 24 - October 26, 2020

Online, Washington, DC



Why attend ELFA 2020 Business Live!

At ELFA 2020 Business Live! participants will learn and network on an interactive virtual platform featuring the latest technology tools. The two-day agenda will include expert keynote speakers, focused breakout sessions, unique networking opportunities, an online exhibit hall and more. Participants will have access to a range of benefits, including:

  • No plane tickets or hotel rooms required—attend from anywhere.
  • Drastically discounted registration fees and expanded content, so that industry executives representing a wide range of job responsibilities and experience levels can attend.
  • Formal and informal virtual networking opportunities.
  • Targeted sessions and interactive discussions with experts on industry hot topics.
  • Access to recorded sessions for a full year following the event. Attendees can participate in real-time or watch sessions on-demand
  • A multimedia exhibit hall featuring the latest business solutions.
ELFA 2020 Business LIVE! Registration Brochure Download Brochure

Registration Fees

Price Description Amount

View cancellation and other policies

Available Functions

Tuesday - October 27
4:45 pm - 5:15 pm
  Newcomer and First Time Attendee Virtual Reception
  Women’s Council Virtual Reception
5:15 pm - 5:45 pm
  Opening Virtual Reception

Speakers

Martha Ahlers

President
United Leasing & Finance


Martha Ahlers is President of United Leasing & Finance. She has over 20 years of commercial leasing experience and started with the company in 1996. Ms. Ahlers holds a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Illinois. She is involved in numerous civic and community organizations including the Ronald McDonald House Charities, Evansville Executive Forum, Tri State MS Association Board, and Carver Community Daycare. She has previously served on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation Board of Directors, and is currently Chair of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) Board of Directors.

Jonathan Albin

COO
Nexseer Capital


Jon is the Chief Operating Officer of Nexseer Capital, a middle market lessor capitalized by Atalaya Capital private equity funds.  He is responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations including capital markets, risk, fulfillment, marketing, operations and systems.  Jon is a 25 year industry veteran with experience across small, middle and large ticket in both direct and indirect origination models.  Prior to Nexseer, he’s held roles at Balboa Capital, eLease, 3M and AT&T.  He holds a BS in Business from University of Southern California and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Gary Anderson



Gary Anderson, CPA & CGMA is an Independent Consultant. He retired in 2016 from TCF National Bank in the capacity of Senior Vice President and Director of Finance for TCF's Lending companies and was an advisor to the Vice Chairman and President on a wide range of matters including finance, risk management and technology. Mr. Anderson was a former Chief Financial Officer of TCF's leasing companies, Winthrop Resources Corporation and TCF Equipment Finance, and also served in a Chief Technology Officer role during his 28 year career at TCF.

Mr. Anderson served on the Accounting Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association during the deliberations of the new lease accounting standard ASC 842--Lease Accounting, was a frequent conference speaker and also contributed articles to its publication Equipment Leasing & Finance. He also served as a CFO Roundtable Leader for the AICPA’s Healthcare annual conference for several years.

His community involvement includes service on St. Cloud State University’s Foundation Board of Trustees (past Chair) and the Herberger School of Business Advisory Board. He is also currently Treasurer of the McGregor Lakes Area Foundation, a non-profit that provides needed resources to the community of McGregor MN. He has also served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors of Urban Boatbuilders, Inc., a 501(c) (3) organization whose mission is positive youth development through the building of boats.

He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a B.S. Accounting degree in 1977 and a M.B.A. degree in 1994.

Deborah Baker

VP, Global Payment Solutions
HP Inc.


As Head of Worldwide Leasing and Financing, Deborah Baker is responsible for driving contractual business growth through an optimized, profitable multi-vendor leasing and financing Go to Market (GTM) solution.

Deborah is a finance veteran with almost 30 years’ experience supporting captive and vendor financing. She joined HP from Cisco Systems Capital Corporation where she served as Senior Director, Global Portfolio Services, supporting a $12B Global Portfolio of ~5000 lease and loan customers in over 100 countries, maximizing sales enablement and ensuring fiduciary responsibility.

Prior to joining Cisco Capital in 2011, Deborah spent 10 years with Hewlett-Packard Financial Services at their headquarters in New Jersey supporting end user financing products in the US, Canada and US Public Sector as well as internal (embedded lease) financing products. Prior to Hewlett-Packard Financial Services, she held a variety of roles with CIT (formerly AT&T Capital), including roles in Business Development, Sales and Operations. As a Six Sigma Champion and Talent Ambassador, Deborah is passionate about Process Improvements, Learning and Development and Talent Management.

Deborah is a member of the Board of Directors for the Equipment Leasing and Financing Association (ELFA), the Chair of the ELFA Women’s Council, and a member of ELFA Equality. In addition, Deborah is a member of the Editorial Board of The Monitor publication, The Independent Voice of Equipment Finance. In 2019, she was named one of the Top Women in Equipment Finance by The Monitor.

Deborah holds a BS in Business Administration and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ. She currently resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her husband Chris. Their son Griffin is studying Cybersecurity at the Southern New Hampshire University. Outside of work, Deb enjoys hiking, bicycling and cooking.

Paul Bent

Senior Managing Director
The Alta Group LLC


Paul Bent is a senior managing director of The Alta Group and head of the firm’s Legal Services and Business Quality Assessment Practices. With more than 40 years of experience as an investment banker, equipment leasing CEO, and transaction attorney, Paul has participated in all facets of leasing and corporate financing. As a leader in the consultancy, he provides Alta clients with insight and advice in assessing both strategic and tactical business plans and alternatives, developing and implementing leasing transactions and structures, reviewing business and documentation practices, and analyzing asset-based financing alternatives.

He serves as a testifying expert in legal matters involving leasing, transaction structuring, and contract interpretation; and he provides services as a neutral arbitrator in difficult disputes over leasing and corporate finance. He also works as a professional singer, performing in the Los Angeles area and on multiple motion picture and video game soundtracks, including “World of Warcraft.”

He earned his A.B. from UCLA, with highest departmental honors in mathematics and computer science, and his J.D. from Southwestern Law School, where he was an Associate Editor of the Southwestern University Law Review.

Abhay Bhootra

Director, Financial Services Investment Banking
Truist Securities


Abhay Bhootra is a Director in Financial Services Investment Banking division of Truist Securities, a corporate and investment banking unit of Truist Financial Corporation. Abhay covers clients in specialty finance sectors including equipment finance, and advises them on capital raising initiatives, mergers & acquisitions, other investment banking services and also provides financing facilities. He has been with Truist since 2011. Prior to Truist, Abhay spent several years at Wachovia and Capital One.

Susan Carol

Chief Strategy Officer
Foresight Marketing Agency


Susan Carol, APR, has earned a respected reputation in a worldwide market of equipment finance, healthcare and technology clients. Her Virginia-based agency, Susan Carol Associates Public Relations, Inc., founded in 1989, has served start-ups, major multinational corporations, publishers and expansion-stage firms, as well as trade associations needing full-service public relations, branding or marketing communications campaigns.

 

With a visionary perspective, Carol continually looks beyond individual projects and considers the “big picture,” advising on how client interests are affected by emerging media, cultural and economic forces. Her team – including seasoned strategists, writers, designers and new-media experts – provides counsel on the full spectrum of public relations and marketing needs, from branding and establishing B2B marketing channels to managing communications crises and leveraging the power of new digital and social media communications.

 

An accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, Carol is a frequent speaker to national and international audiences on a variety of public relations topics. She is also an ELFA board member, has presented at previous ELFA conventions and currently serves on the association’s Communications Committee. In the mid- 1980s, Carol was employed as Director of Communications for the ELFA, then known as the AAEL. Her experience also includes managing corporate and U.S. military communications, having served in a European post early in her career.

 

Active in her local community, Carol is a board member of the Women and Girls Fund of the Community Foundation in Fredericksburg, Va., and a volunteer for the University of Mary Washington Philharmonic.

 

Carol received a BA in journalism from Penn State University in State College, Pa. She began her career as a news and feature reporter for print and broadcast media.

Daniel Castellini

CEO
Trio Capital Solutions


Dan Castellini is a Senior Vice President of Data Science & Analytics with Marlin Capital Solutions and has been with the organization for 16 years. Dan successfully introduced credit scoring and automated decisioning to Marlin and continues to leverage new technology and techniques to expand data science throughout the entire organization. Dan is passionate about using data to drive business decisions and automation as the organization continues to scale for future growth. Dan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting from Cedarville University, and an MBA in Finance and Strategic Management from Rutgers University. Dan’s passions include getting outdoors to fish, play golf and spend time at the Jersey shore. He is also an avid Philly sports fan.

Bill Choi

VP, Research & Industry Services
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association


Bill Choi is the Vice President of Research & Industry Services for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the premier trade association representing 575+ member organizations in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector.

Mr. Choi manages research, economic analysis and industry benchmarking metrics. He has been with the association since 2002. He has liaison responsibilities for the ELFA Research committee, Technology Innovation Workgroup, and the Captive & Vendor Finance Business Council Steering Committee.

Prior to joining ELFA, Mr. Choi served as a product manager in the telecommunications and banking industries. He developed and managed products through their product life cycle from development to maturity. He also worked for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) as the director of marketing, with the task of increasing sales of software, increasing attendance to events and membership, market analysis and marketing publications.

Mr. Choi holds the Certification Association Executive (CAE) designation from the American Society of Association Executives. He holds a B.S. in Industrial/Organization Psychology and a Masters in Business Administration.

Scott Collier

Chief Administrative Officer
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance


Anthony Cracchiolo

President & CEO
U.S. Bank


Anthony Cracchiolo is a 35-year veteran of the financial industry. Mr. Cracchiolo joined U.S. Bank Equipment Finance in March 2007. He leads and oversees all operations of U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, which is composed of nine business units, delivering products and services through both direct and vendor channels. The direct businesses include: capital equipment, small business, technology finance, government leasing and finance. The vendor channel businesses include office equipment vendor services; healthcare vendor services; manufacturing vendor services; and technology vendor services as well as the division's syndications group.

Previous to joining U.S. Bank, he held the position of Managing Director of CitiCapital Vendor Finance for Business Technology. Mr. Cracchiolo holds a bachelor's degree in management science, computer science and mathematics from City University of New York and a master's degree in computer science from New York Institute of Technology. He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan Executive Program and has served on the board of directors of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association since 2010 and the development committee of New York City's YMCA since 2012.

David Cramer CLFP


Mr. Cramer is an IT Systems Administrator for Amur Equipment Finance, an Independent lessor ranked number four on the Monitor Top 100 independent lessors list. He has been a member of that company for 9 years.

Prior to joining Amur, David spent seven years with the DiBari Group, a Venture Debt Advisory firm. During his time there he supported the deployment of $1B+ in capital to emerging businesses through out the US.

David is a US. Marine Veteran, having served ten years as an Aviation Electronics Technician on CH-53 Helicopters. he served in several conflicts and humanitarian efforts around the globe during his enlistment.

Throughout his 20 year Career, David has helped many organizations reach their goals through business process improvements, technical innovations, education, and financial transactions.

David Cramer CLFP


Mr. Cramer is an IT Systems Administrator for Amur Equipment Finance, an Independent lessor ranked number four on the Monitor Top 100 independent lessors list. He has been a member of that company for 9 years.

Prior to joining Amur, David spent seven years with the DiBari Group, a Venture Debt Advisory firm. During his time there he supported the deployment of $1B+ in capital to emerging businesses through out the US.

David is a US. Marine Veteran, having served ten years as an Aviation Electronics Technician on CH-53 Helicopters. he served in several conflicts and humanitarian efforts around the globe during his enlistment.

Throughout his 20 year Career, David has helped many organizations reach their goals through business process improvements, technical innovations, education, and financial transactions.

David Cramer CLFP


Mr. Cramer is an IT Systems Administrator for Amur Equipment Finance, an Independent lessor ranked number four on the Monitor Top 100 independent lessors list. He has been a member of that company for 9 years.

Prior to joining Amur, David spent seven years with the DiBari Group, a Venture Debt Advisory firm. During his time there he supported the deployment of $1B+ in capital to emerging businesses through out the US.

David is a US. Marine Veteran, having served ten years as an Aviation Electronics Technician on CH-53 Helicopters. he served in several conflicts and humanitarian efforts around the globe during his enlistment.

Throughout his 20 year Career, David has helped many organizations reach their goals through business process improvements, technical innovations, education, and financial transactions.

Diane Croessmann

Director
The Alta Group LLC


Diane Croessmann is currently a Director at the Alta Group where she brings extensive experience in the equipment and financing industry.   Her career has focused on designing, deploying and managing equipment leasing, financing and managed services programs both nationally and internationally.  Today, she brings that experience to a broad spectrum of clients who require support in examining strategies for market entry, asset management, managed services and a wide range of other activities that focus on developing and optimizing equipment leasing, financing and managed services opportunities.   
 
Before joining The Alta Group, Diane served as the worldwide managing director of Lenovo Financial Services where she designed and implemented a global strategy for their equipment leasing and managed services solutions.
 
Prior to Lenovo, Diane held multiple domestic and international executive level positions at Xerox where she was primarily involved in the development and deployment of a multi-billion- dollar captive leasing business.  Other executive level experience at Xerox included being the comptroller of North America, vice president of customer operations, vice president/director of worldwide strategy, vice president/director of business transformation for the managed services business division, and general manager of leasing and customer business operations for Eastern Europe/Middle East, Latin America and India.
 
Diane had the pleasure to serve on the board of directors and executive committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, where she was involved in driving industry awareness for managed services.  She is also a recognized industry speaker on topics including changes in lease accounting and migration to managed services offerings.  
 
After graduating from Syracuse University in New York with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and a minor in art, Diane started her early career as a certified public accountant with Ernst and Young.  She currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee.  In her spare-time she is an avid swimmer, jewelry artist and passionate cook.  

Thomas Davidson

Executive Vice President
Post Road Equipment Finance


Prior to joining Encina in 2019, Tom held several roles in structured finance and
capital markets, including 16 years at GE Capital where he was Senior Managing
Director and Global Head of Securitization. Tom was also the CFO of two specialty
finance companies, and his earlier experience includes investment banking and
audit. Tom received an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business and a BA from
Williams College.

Michael DiCecco

Executive Managing Director, Huntington Asset Finance
Huntington Equipment Finance


Michael DiCecco is Executive Managing Director of Huntington Bank’s Asset Finance business which includes asset-based lending, equipment, technology & healthcare finance, vendor & inventory finance, public capital, renewable energy, premium finance, and lender finance. DiCecco, along with a group of colleagues, established Huntington’s equipment finance capabilities in 2001 after starting his career at Star Bank (nka US Bank) in 1988. Over the last 30 years DiCecco has earned increasing responsibilities in equipment finance and commercial banking, including leading Huntington’s commercial bank for Northeast Ohio from 2005-2008.

Active in the industry and community, DiCecco, has served on the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association’s Membership Committee, Financial Institutions Business Council, and from 2014-2017 served on the ELFA Board of Directors and Executive Committee. DiCecco rejoined the ELFA Board of Directors in 2018 and is currently Chair-Elect. Michael is also on the Cuyahoga County Regional Advisory Board for the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Ohio and an active fundraiser for cancer research through Pelotonia.

DiCecco holds a Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Finance from the College of Mount St. Joseph, and he is a member of the Leadership Cleveland class of 2008. Michael lives in Avon Lake, Ohio with his wife Amy and has three children.

Alexandra Dressman CLFP

Legal Counsel
DLL


Lexie Dressman is Legal Counsel at DLL. She was previously with Huntington Equipment Finance for over 7 years. Prior to joining the Equipment Leasing & Finance industry, Lexie served as a Public Defender for 3 1/2 years. Active in the industry, Lexie is a Past Chair of ELFA's Emerging Talent Advisory Council and a former member of the Legal Committee, where she created the Rising Lawyers Subcommittee. She is currently serving on the Women's Council, where she is Chair of the Mental Health Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Women's Spotlight Subcommittee. Lexie has her B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Kentucky and her J.D. from the Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase College of Law, where she was a Henry Clay Scholar. She enjoys reading, traveling and, most importantly, spending time with her husband, 2 children and 2 dogs.

Mark Duncan

Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Mitsubishi HC Capital America, Inc.


Mark Duncan is Executive Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Finance at Hitachi Capital America (“HCA”), with responsibility for Vendor Services, Structured Finance, Supply Chain Solutions, and Business Finance divisions.  Mark also heads up Corporate Development at HCA, responsible for driving business planning, acquisitions, and strategic marketing across the business.
 
Prior to HCA, Mark worked 19 years at GE Capital, most recently as Managing Director Corporate Development, responsible for growing GE’s commercial finance business via acquisitions, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions; he began his GE career as an Investment Analyst in Corporate Finance.  
 
Mark received his MBA from Northeastern University, BA from Michigan State University, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (“CFA”) designation; he is also an active ELFA member and has served two terms on the Independent Middle Market Business Council Steering Committee.

Erich Dylus


API3 Foundation


Sole proprietor attorney barred in DC and MD, and Solidity programmer. Currently external General Counsel to the API3 Foundation (api3.org).

Previously an associate at Vedder Price, practicing domestic and international secured asset and aviation finance, general equipment leasing and loans, securitizations, and aviation regulatory compliance.

Jeffry Elliott CLFP

President
Huntington Equipment Finance


Mr. Elliott is President of Huntington Equipment Finance (“HEF”) a division of The Huntington National Bank. Mr. Elliott is responsible for the Business Equipment Solutions Team (“BEST”), which focuses on equipment financing for Huntington’s Regional Banking clients, Huntington Public Capital®, which focuses on lending to the municipal, university, school & hospital (“MUSH”) entities and more recently launched the Renewable Energy Finance group that focuses on solar, wind, battery and other renewable energy generation projects. Additionally, Mr. Elliott is leading the Clean Energy Banking strategic initiative focusing on helping Huntington clients with the energy transition.

Mr. Elliott began his banking career with Security Pacific a Subsidiary of Bank of America in 1993 in the consumer finance division. Prior to Huntington, Mr. Elliott was Vice President with U.S. Bank as Manager of the Indirect Funding Group; he joined Huntington in 2001 as part of the newly established Huntington Equipment Finance Division.

Mr. Elliott specializes in analyzing equipment finance related financial contracts as it relates to wholesale lending activities or merger & acquisition transactions. He is an active participant in the syndication markets, both on the buy and sell side of equipment leasing and loan transactions. Project Finance is another area of focus, primarily in the renewable energy markets working on back leverage term loans, solar sale-leaseback, and tax equity transactions.

Mr. Elliott holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the Richard T. Farmer School of Business at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and a Master of Business Administration from the Williams College of Business at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Mr. Elliott is a Certified Lease Finance Professional (“CLFP”) and was formerly an active member of the CLFP Board of Directors. Mr. Elliott was formerly involved with the Mid America Association of Equipment Lessors (“MAEL”), where he served as Vice Chairman/Board of Director. Currently he is Treasurer and a board member of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association. Mr. Elliott is a former Chairman of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation and former Chairman of the Research Committee and a member of the Board of Trustees. Mr. Elliott is a current board member of the Association for Governmental Leasing and Finance (“AGLF”). Mr. Elliott is also a retired member of the Ohio High School Athletic Association as a High School Basketball & Football Official.

Mr. Elliott enjoys the pursuit of the culinary arts, wine appreciation and collecting and golf, where he is a member of Avon Oaks Country Club. He resides in Bay Village, Ohio with his wife and two children.

Jeffrey Emrich



Jeffrey provides strategic operational and technology guidance for Crestmark Equipment Finance as Chief Information Officer.

Jeffrey has over 20 years of experience managing technology for the equipment finance industry and has been a member of the Operations and Technology Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) 2014-2016.

Jeffrey earned his Master of Business Information Technology from Walsh College and a B.S. in Computer Science from Central Michigan University.

Jonathan Fales

Divisional President
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.


For more than 34 years, Jon Fales, a senior managing director in The Alta Group, has worked in the information technology and equipment leasing fields. Prior to joining Alta, Jon held numerous positions around the world with IBM Global Financing, including general manager of Asia Pacific South Global Financing and a member of IBM Credit General Business Customer Financing Group, which focused on marketing leases through indirect dealer channels.
 
Today he leads Alta's consulting practice in information technology markets worldwide. His years of experience in international business development have helped Alta clients launch and manage vendor finance programs in Latin America, Europe, the US and Asia, with a special emphasis on China. Jon also works in benchmarking operations, litigation support and strategic consulting, including market-entry analysis and business case development. His focus in all of his projects is on getting problems solved or opportunities quantified in a way that affects a client's profitability.
 
A former member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) board of directors and executive committee, Jon meets regularly with leasing industry and association leaders to provide direction to the ELFA, define the issues affecting lessors and service providers and determine how to best serve ELFA members. Jon frequently presents at global leasing conferences, writes articles for leading industry magazines and is considered an expert in vendor finance.
 
 

Michael Fanger

CEO
Eastern Funding LLC


Michael Fanger is an experienced board member and an accomplished entrepreneur, public company executive, specialty financier, and commercial banker.  He is currently Trustee, Treasurer and Executive Committee member of the Woods Hole Research Center, soon to be re-branded as the Woodwell Climate Research Center (“WCRC”).  WCRC is a premier scientific research institution, ranked #1 globally the last 4 years consecutively.  Formerly Michael was a member the Supervisory Committee of Progressive Credit Union, NY, NY, the most profitable and best capitalized, State Chartered Credit Union in the nation at the time.
 
In 1997, Michael founded Eastern Funding LLC as a private, independent specialty finance company with a narrow industry focus.  Later he took investment from a public Banking company and later sold it to the same Bank (Brookline Bank - “Brookline” – NASDAQ – BRKL) first in part in 2006 and the balance in 2019.  With a focus on limited industries, Eastern grew rapidly, efficiently, and profitably, contributing disproportionately to the profits of Brookline while maintaining pristine asset quality.  Eastern’s traits include an outstanding corporate culture, a highly diverse employee group, long staff tenure, a first rate technology platform, and great prospects.  
 
Beginning at his prior employer, Medallion Funding Corp., NY, NY, a Minority Enterprise. Small Business investment Corporation, Michael has had a special focus and success in assisting first generation, or disadvantaged, small businesses in the inner cities helping them expand and build wealth in a consultative way.  Michael is a community banker oriented by industry not georgraphy.
 
Beginning in commercial banking in 1981 Michael has arranged debt and equity financing for large companies, including his prior employer, and Eastern Funding.  He was the principal on M & A and financing transactions at his present employer, and a lead participant on bank financing and securities sales at his former employer.
Mr. Fanger’s track record of success has been focused in specialty finance, commercial banking, start-up retail and service businesses, commercial real estate, construction, and financial accounting.   Michael’s leadership positions afforded him valuable experiences facing many businesses today, such as CEO succession planning, growth strategies, risk management, talent acquisition, regulatory compliance, and financial management.
 
Michael resides in Moorestown, NJ and Woods Hole, MA.  He is a member of the Woods Hole Golf Club.

Valerie Gerard

Co-Chief Executive Officer and Strategy & Competitive Alignment Practice Leader
The Alta Group LLC


With more than 15 years of management consulting experience, Valerie serves as a strategic business advisor to clients in the equipment leasing and asset finance industry, guiding them on issues including corporate strategy, disruptive operating models, market entry, operational effectiveness, competitive analytics and capital markets strategies.  She brings a unique perspective to help clients anticipate the changes occurring in the industry and adjacent markets. Valerie also is a member of Alta’s Management Committee.
 
In addition to being a frequent industry speaker, Valerie serves on the Board of Trustees for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation, the Editorial Board for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing and was a founding member of the Women’s Council for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.  In 2019, The Monitor named her one of the top 50 women equipment leasing.
 
Prior to joining Alta, Valerie held senior management roles at CIT, Dow Jones and AT&T Capital.  She received a BA from Vassar College and an AMP degree from Harvard Business School.

R.A. Golden

Principles Workshop Instructor


Mr. Golden is the CEO of The BoCon Group, Inc., a training and consulting firm located in Boca Raton, FL. Mr. Golden has spent the last 40 years in the capital equipment leasing and financing industry. He has held positions in sales, sales management and senior management. In addition to a sales and marketing background, he has managed credit, collections and operations personnel, as well as the responsibility for maximizing profitability for his employers. He has worked for banks, insurance companies and independent Fortune 500 lessors.

With a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Rider University (NJ) and, as a student of equipment leasing and financing, he has developed a thorough understanding and knowledge of the industry. He has conducted numerous training and development courses including financial statement analysis, customer service, sales management, sales motivation, as well as lease and finance structuring.

Mr. Golden has been involved with the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and its predecessor, Equipment Leasing Association (ELA) throughout his career. He also is an avid photographer operating his studio in Florida.

Joseph Granneman

CEO, Principal Consultant
illumination.io


Joe developed a passion and expertise in information security after over 20 years of experience as an IT leader in hospitals, clinics and financial trading institutions. This passion has led me to found illumination.io, a cybersecurity consulting firm in Rockford, IL. He had served most recently as the CIO for Rockford Orthopedic Associates prior to being regional CIO for Adventist Midwest Health. He also served as the Manager of Information Security for Calamos Investments in Naperville Illinois. Previous to these roles, Joe was CTO and CSO for Rockford Health System in Rockford Illinois for over 16 years, which was listed on Hospital and Health Networks Top 100 Most Wired 7 consecutive times.

Joe has become an active author and speaker specializing in the fields of health care information technology and information security. He has written articles for Information Security Magazine and CIO/CSO magazine. He has published the majority of his publications in the last few years with TechTarget, an online security news site. He has limited experience in the leasing and finance industry but have a basic understanding due to my roles in executive leadership.

Joe has been active in many non-profit standards workgroups including the Health Information Security and Privacy Security Working Group for Illinois which developed an early framework for Health Information Exchange. He was also a volunteer for Certification Commission for Health Information Technology (CCHIT) Security Working Group developing standards for ARRA certification of electronic medical records. He has also worked as a volunteer with the Cloud Security Alliance to develop security standards for cloud services.

Joe has a BS from Millikin University and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.

Edward Gross

Shareholder
Vedder Price P.C.


Edward K. Gross is a Shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the Global Transportation Finance team.

He established the firm’s Washington, DC office and has over 30 years of experience representing bank-affiliated and large, independent equipment financing companies in all aspects of equipment finance transactions, including documenting, structuring, negotiating, syndicating and enforcing these transactions. Mr. Gross handles all types of equipment finance matters and structures, including single-investor, leveraged financings, true/ tax motivated leases, synthetic leases, TRAC leases, “bundled” and other vendor-originated financings, and domestic and cross-border financings, primarily for transportation equipment, but also for other types of equipment, including: manufacturing and assembly line, construction and drilling, energy-related and other facilities, medical and health-related facilities, high-tech equipment (including “bundled” financings), trucks and trailers, modular units and vessel repair equipment.

Mr. Gross is considered an industry leader in business aircraft and helicopter finance. These transactions vary in structure and include tax and non-tax lease, operating lease and secured loan financing of managed and/or chartered aircraft, fleet aircraft and helicopters operated in various service capacities (e.g., air ambulances, oil and gas service, flight schools, etc.) and engine pools, aircraft operated under fractional and “pay card” arrangements and progress payment, completion and other multi-funding structures. Clients include market-leading aircraft and helicopter financing providers, investors or operating lessors, as well as large publicly or privately held businesses, governmental entities or high-net-worth individual users. Many of these transactions involve foreign registered aircraft.

Many clients rely on Mr. Gross in syndication transactions, including large portfolio purchases, “one-off” sales and assignments, discounting, back-leveraging and participation transactions. He has worked with Vedder Price’s Capital Markets team on securitizations of diverse asset classes. Mr. Gross has prepared lease, loan and syndication forms for many of the most active financing providers in the industry. Working with Vedder Price’s well-regarded bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice, Mr. Gross has assisted financing providers, including various creditor groups, with workout, restructuring, bankruptcy and enforcement matters.

Mr. Gross has been selected for inclusion in numerous editions of Who's Who Legal’s The International Who's Who of Aviation Lawyers, including the 2014 edition in which Mr. Gross participated in a roundtable discussion. In the 2013 edition of that publication, Mr. Gross is named one of the top 500 aviation lawyers in the world, and is cited as “a go-to lawyer for finance, insolvency and restructuring…well-respected by commercial clients.” In 2016 through 2020, Mr. Gross was ranked Band 1 in Private Aircraft (Global-wide) in Chambers High Net Worth, which recognizes the world’s leading high net worth advisers. In addition, in 2013 Mr. Gross was ranked in Chambers USA in the Nationwide Banking & Finance: Equipment Finance & Leasing category. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in Washington DC Super Lawyers (2007–2020) and The Best Lawyers in America (2007–2021) in the field of Equipment Finance Law. Mr. Gross was elected as Fellow to the American College of Commercial Finance Lawyers in 2011, and elected as Regent to the College in 2012. He has been recognized by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), receiving the Distinguished Service Award in 2008 and ELFA’s Legal Committee Edward A. Groobert Excellence in Leasing Award in 2011.

A client respondent in Airfinance Journal’s 2011 Guide to Aviation Lawyers mentions, “Vedder Price can turn a deal in a day or two if necessary. Ed Gross is our go to person for time-sensitive matters.” He also recognized among the world’s leading aviation attorneys by in Euromoney’s Expert Guides “Aviation Guide” from 2013 to 2020.

Mr. Gross obtained his B.A. from the University of Maryland and his J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Gabrielle Haddad

Founder, COO
Sigma Ratings


Peter Haug

Product Manager
LTi Technology Solutions


Current Member of the ELFA Operations and Technology Committee, Peter Haug is Product Manager at LTi Technology Solutions – the market-leading platform provider to the equipment finance industry. Since joining LTi in 2009, Peter has enjoyed collaborating with thought-leaders in the industry to understand and solve the critical challenges the industry is facing.

Recently, Peter has presented on technology topics covering innovation and the customer experience.

In his free time, Peter enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, watching soccer, and learning languages.

Jeff Jensen

Vice President
Keybridge Research, LLC


Jeff Jensen is a Vice President at Keybridge, where he serves as an economic and policy advisor for small businesses, industry associations, and government agencies. Jeff has 15 years of experience applying economics, data analytics, and program evaluation techniques to a wide range of public policy issues, including macroeconomic policy, federal regulatory policy, environmental policy, immigration, flood insurance and hazard mitigation, equipment finance, and credit and debit card markets.

Before joining Keybridge, Jeff spent 4 years at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, where he specialized in transportation security and related homeland security issues.

Jeff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Carleton College and Master’s degrees in Public Policy and Environmental Management from Duke University.

Grace Killelea


Half the Sky Leadership Institute, Inc.


Grace Killelea is the CEO & Founder of the GKC Group. For over 30 years, Grace has been keenly focused on developing, supporting, mentoring, coaching and connecting leaders. An accomplished human resource and talent executive, Grace retired as a SVP from a Fortune 30 company, and in 2013, founded the GKC Group, a leadership development firm with programs designed for high potential men and women. Now in their 6th year, GKC Group programs have graduated over 1300 leaders from 120+ partner companies. In 2016, her book The Confidence Effect was published and was listed as a Top 10 Book for ‘Women in Business’ on Amazon.com and was also noted as ‘one of the most important new business books’ by Inc.com. Today, more than 25,000 books have been sold.  

Edward Krueger

VP, Risk Analytics & Decision Sciences
Channel


Ed has been with Channel since November 2018 and in his current role he specializes in leveraging advanced data science techniques to draw out actionable insights from data.
 
Prior to Channel Partners, he worked in the subprime consumer credit and health insurance industries where he built models, developed and measured effectiveness of new strategies throughout the customer lifecycle, and optimized critical business decisions. His work in subprime consumer credit includes Bluestem Brands and Capital Services. He received his MBA from the University of South Dakota and his MS in Statistics from South Dakota State University.

Cameron Krueger

Senior Managing Director - North American Specialty Finance Leader
Accenture


Cam is a Managing Director in Accenture’s Financial Services practice and is responsible for North American Specialty Finance market. He has over 30 years of experience in the automobile and equipment finance markets. He has worked extensively with most technology platforms across all equipment types and phases of the lease/loan life-cycle.

Marjorie Krumholz

Partner
Thompson Coburn LLP


Margie's practice spans more than 30 years representing borrowers, lenders, lessors, and lessees in structuring, negotiating, and closing financing transactions, including leases, leveraged leases, and cross-border transactions. Nationally recognized for her equipment finance experience, particularly in the maritime industry, Margie handles equipment sales and purchases, and portfolio sales. She has worked on many complex financing structures, including transactions that have multiple tiers of debt secured by thousands of vessels.  
 
In addition to financing transactions, Margie counsels private equity and hedge fund clients in their investments in maritime businesses. She also counsels clients on maritime regulatory matters, including qualification as a United States citizen for purposes of the Jones Act and registration of vessels in flags of convenience. She practices in the area of trade finance through representation of banks that support the export of goods and services from the U.S. by providing loans that are guaranteed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank).
 
Margie is a member of the ELFA Board of Directors, co-chair of the ELFA Air, Rail and Marine Subcommittee and former member of the Legal Committee. She is Managing Partner of Thompson Coburn’s DC office and co-chair of the firm's Federal Practice Group.

Michael Levison

Chief Executive Officer
Resolvion, LLC


Mike has over 30 years of senior executive experience in the financial institution marketplace. Prior to joining Resolvion in 2010, he served a CEO of Remark Americas, an international insurance brokerage firm for 8 years. Prior to ReMark, he served as CEO of Coverdell & Company from 1987 - 2002. Mike is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Finance.

Dominic Liberatore

Deputy General Counsel
DLL


Dominic A. Liberatore is the Deputy General Counsel for DLL, a global provider of leasing and business finance solutions, including vendor finance.

Mr. Liberatore has been practicing law for 35 years focusing on leasing and asset based lending, and has served in a variety of senior in-house legal positions with DLL, IOS Capital, Inc. (the captive finance subsidiary of IKON Office Solutions, Inc.), Copelco Financial Services Group, Inc. and the FDIC. Prior to going in-house, Mr. Liberatore was an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City and Wolf Block in Philadelphia. Mr. Liberatore is a past chairman of the ELFA Legal Committee, current ELFA Subcommittee Coordinator and a past chairman of the Subcommittee on Leasing of the Uniform Commercial Code Committee of the ABA Business Law Section. Mr. Liberatore is also a member of the Editorial Review Board for the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing.

Mr. Liberatore holds a J.D. from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from the University of Buffalo.

Sherry Lowe Johnson

Director, Senior Counsel
Volvo Financial Services


Sherry Lowe Johnson has over 20 years of experience representing financial institutions, equipment leasing companies and special purpose entities on a myriad of legal issues and concerns, including litigation, regulatory and compliance, and transactional matters.  She is a highly requested speaker on issues concerning representation of lenders and bankruptcy-related issues.  

Jennifer Martin CLFP

Chief Product Officer
LTi Technology Solutions


Jen Martin is the Chief Product Officer at LTi Technology Solutions. In her role as CPO Jen leads the Product and Client Success teams. Jen is responsible for managing LTi's investment in new product and technologies, providing value added solutions to critical customer and market problems.

Jen Martin has been in the equipment finance industry and was at Key Equipment Finance (KEF) for 28 years. She has held many roles over that time including Operations Manager for various support/client service areas and Originations teams, Technology Project Manager, Technology product owner and Quality assurance manager. In 2019, she led the team that implemented ASPIRE and was a lead on the team that upgraded KEF’s end to end technology stack. Most recently, Jen Martin was part of the Key Equipment Finance senior leadership team, responsible for the successful execution of KEF’s technology roadmap, aligning technology tools with the needs of Key Equipment Finance’s clients and employees. Additionally, Jen led a sales enablement team that enables KEF’s growth success through data driven strategic modeling, problem solving, helping market Key’s capabilities and exceeding client expectations through the implementation of innovative technology tools.

Jen Martin is also a founding member of the ELFA Women’s council, immediate past chair for the ELFA Operations and Technology Committee/Conference, a member of the Monitor’s Editorial Board and is part of the ELFA’s Innovation Advisory council.

Kara Miyasato CLFP

Marketing Director


Kara Miyasato is the Director of Marketing for Stryker’s financial services business, Flex Financial. In this role, she leads a team responsible for product development, marketing communications, sales training, process improvement, and business analytics for North America and Europe. She sits on the Flex Financial leadership team.

In 2007, Kara began her career at Stryker at Stryker Endoscopy in San Jose, California. She relocated to Kalamazoo in 2008 and has held various individual contributor and management roles within Flex Financial in both operations and marketing. Her focus throughout her Stryker career has been around customer engagement, continual process improvement, and employee development.

Kara currently chairs the Emerging Talent Advisory Council (ETAC) for ELFA and sits on ELFA Equality. She was previously the ETAC liaison to the Captive & Vendor BCSC and was identified as Monitor’s inaugural Next Generation Leader for their Industry Icon Awards.

Kara holds degrees in philosophy and economics from Santa Clara University, attained her Master’s degree in Finance from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) as well as a Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP). She sits on the board of directors for the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestras and resides in Kalamazoo, Michigan with her husband, Cullen Stevenson, and their son, Kai.

Lisa Moore

Sr. Counsel
PNC Equipment Finance


Lisa Moore serves as Senior Counsel at PNC Equipment Finance, LLC, (“PNCEF”), headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, a wholly owned subsidiary of PNC Bank, N.A., where she is embedded in the business. Lisa has supported PNCEF and its predecessors for over eighteen years with a focus on front end support for rail and structured finance as well as operations and back end matters.
Lisa regularly conducts internal training on both front and back end topics. She is a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's (ELFA) Amicus Brief Committee and currently serves on the ELFA Legal Committee. For 2020, Lisa is Chair of the Legal Committee. Lisa has previously presented at the ELFA Legal Forum on the topics of NorVergence, Chapter 11, Hot Topics and Inside and Outside Counsel.

Jillian Munson

VP, Process & Automation
QuickFi


Jillian leads core technology initiatives at QuickFi. She analyzes internal and customer-facing business processes to determine how automation can transform traditionally manual workflows into automated, digitized experiences.

Sheila Oliver

Global Product Manager, Retail Product Families
John Deere Financial


Career Highlights:

2019 Global Product Manager, Retail Product Families, JDF

2018 Director Global Retail Operating Platforms, JDF

2016 Region Finance Manager, Eastern Region U.S., JDF

2015 Director Strategic Planning and Business Development, JDF

2013 Director Wholesale Account Management, JDF

2010 Manager Retail Credit, JDF

2008 Manager Credit Operations, JDF

2004 IT Division Leader, JDF

2001 Agribusiness Product Development Manager, JDF

Previous Employment:

2000 Field Services Manager, Cybercrop.com, Ft. Collins, CO

1991 Purchasing and Transportation Manager, Purina Mills, Inc.,
St. Louis, MO

Affiliations & Organizations:

Deere ERGs: WomenReach, WORLD & I, Rainbow, Abled, BERG

Women Lead Change: Metro Women Connect Steering Council

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA)
-Ops & Tech Committee

United Way Education Leadership Initiative

AHeinz 57 Pet Rescue and Transport

Other Development:

Smith-Tuck Leadership Program for Women

Global Leadership 2030 (2016-1017)

Brad Peterson

CEO
Channel


Channel Partners Capital is a small ticket equipment finance and working capital on balance sheet lender, originating transactions exclusively through relationships with equipment finance companies. Brad founded the company in 2009 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. As the CEO, he is accountable for the overall strategy, resources and operations of Channel Partners Capital.

Prior to Channel, Brad served as Senior Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Bank's Manifest Funding Services, a $1.5 billion asset business unit that focused on third party generated small ticket equipment leasing nationwide. Also,  Brad founded and served as President of CAN Capital small ticket equipment finance subsidiary, PredictiFund, leveraging CAN's substantial small business lending, credit data and modeling experience. From 1981 to 1996, he held various financial and sales management positions with Ralston Purina.
 
Brad has been an active member in many leasing industry associations including NEFA (Board 2001-2008, President 2007), AACFB/NAELB (Advisory Board Member 2018) and a is currently member of the Small Ticket BCSC for ELFA.  Brad graduated from Iowa State University in 1981 with BS degrees in Economics and Finance.
 

Kevin Prykull CLFP

Adjunct Professor in Finance --Duquesne University


Kevin P. Prykull, CLFP
Retired SVP & Credit Underwriting Executive
PNC Equipment Finance, LLC (PNCEF)

Kevin P. Prykull is a seasoned equipment leasing and finance professional specializing in credit risk management. He has over 42 years of industry experience and worked for PNC Bank for more than 30 years until his recent retirement. At PNCEF he managed all credit underwriting, approval and portfolio functions for PNC Bank’s leasing and equipment financing subsidiaries. He was responsible for the credit and risk activities within the direct segments and specialty businesses like corporate aviation, municipal, alternative energy, structured finance, Canada, and vendor -- including the underwriting and approval of new transactions, portfolio management, and related credit administration matters. PNC’s combined leasing and equipment finance portfolio exceeds $18 billion in assets making the firm the 3rd largest bank leasing company in the country.

His prior work experience includes: an independent finance company (Senstar Capital Corporation), global lease consulting firm (Amenbal, Deane and Associates), a Fortune 500 manufacturer and captive lessor (Joy Manufacturing), and a local regional bank (Equibank). Much of his background is in risk, credit, equipment, leasing, teaching, and consulting.

Mr. Prykull holds an undergraduate degree in accounting (BSBA) from Duquesne University and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Robert Morris University. Although he does not practice, Kevin has passed the Pennsylvania CPA exam.

Prykull is an active member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA). Since 2008, he has served in various roles as chair, member and leader on the association’s Credit and Collections (C&C) Planning Committee and Conference. In addition, Kevin is responsible for the Credit Manager Survey whose results are presented annually at the conference. He was the recipient of the ELFA Distinguished Service Award. The award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the association and to the equipment finance industry. Kevin is active on the ELFA’s Research Committee and is involved in the annual publication of the Summary of Equipment Finance Activity (SEFA). Kevin has been interviewed and quoted in numerous articles for the ELFA Leasing Today magazine and the Monitor.

Kevin has earned and maintains the Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP) designation offered through the CLFP Foundation. Kevin is on the Executive Committee of the CLFP Board serving as the Immediate Past President. He chairs the Body of Knowledge and Recertification Committees. Further he functions as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for all credit and risk matters. Kevin teaches at the Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals (ALFP), including the newest “virtual” ones. Kevin is an Adjunct Professor in Finance at Duquesne University. A native of the Pittsburgh, PA area, Kevin resides in Peters Township with his wife Karen. He has three grown children and three grandchildren.

Kevin P. Prykull
506 Harvest View Drive
Venetia, PA 15367

(412) 337-0250
kevin.prykull@gmail.com

www.linkedin.com/in/kevinprykull

Adam Ramirez CLFP

Chief Risk Officer
Tokyo Century (USA) Inc.


Adam Ramirez is charged with overseeing the credit and risk functions for TCUSA. In addition, he is the General Manager of the Commercial Vehicle unit with responsibility for credit, collections and operations teams. The Commercial Vehicle unit is dedicated to supporting Isuzu Finance of America, Inc. He has 25 years of experience in the US and Mexico in commercial vehicle financing and leasing, and has been with TCUSA for the last 13 years.

 

His initial focus was establishing and growing the IFAI business portfolio. Adam completed the management training program with a major NY bank, has 3 years of corporate bank experience in Australia and spent 4 years managing the turn-around of a captive finance company in Mexico.

 

Adam holds a B.A. degree from Harvard University and is a graduate of the Advanced Management College at Stanford University.

Candace Reinhart CLFP

COO/CXO
CoreTech Leasing, Inc.


With over two decades of experience as a Certified Lease and Finance Professional (CLFP), Candace has consistently harnessed her expertise to drive operational efficiencies and establish scalable solutions in the realm of equipment leasing. Her extensive tenure in the industry has molded her into an equipment generalist and fervent enthusiast for the nuances of equipment lease dynamics.

At the heart of her journey lies CoreTech Leasing, where Candace has assumed the pivotal roles of Chief Operating Officer and Chief Experience Officer. Guiding Operations and Syndications, she orchestrates strategic initiatives that amplify client value on a grand scale, solidifying CoreTech's standing as an industry frontrunner.

Candace's CLFP accreditation underscores her unwavering commitment to continuous learning and mastery of industry intricacies. This qualification empowers her to navigate intricate financial landscapes with finesse, shaping informed decisions that resonate across CoreTech's operational landscape.

Through adept leadership, she not only sustains CoreTech's competitive edge but propels it to unprecedented altitudes, infusing innovation into every operational facet. Her all-encompassing experience provides her with a holistic perspective on operational workflows, enabling her to forge seamless synergies between departments and foster collaborative excellence.

Candace's dedication to refining operational nuances, coupled with her strategic acumen, has earned her a reputation as a dynamic leader who transforms concepts into reality. By steering Operations and Syndications, she engineers fluid client experiences that resonate profoundly, solidifying CoreTech's position as an industry vanguard synonymous with excellence.

In essence, Candace's professional voyage is marked by an unrelenting pursuit of operational mastery, a fervent zeal for equipment leasing, and an unwavering dedication to propelling CoreTech Leasing towards an innovative and prosperous future.

Deborah Reuben CLFP, DES

CEO & Founder
TomorrowZone


Deborah "Deb" Reuben, CLFP, DES, is CEO and Founder of TomorrowZone, a technology strategy consultancy inspiring fresh ideas and collaborations to shape the future of business. She encourages new thinking to explore the art of the possible through her extensive technical knowledge, equipment finance experience, and passion for challenging the status quo. Her expertise will enhance and broaden your company's products and services and create efficiencies that will produce a competitive advantage for your company.

Her view on digital transformation and future-readiness is radically different with over two decades of innovating, speaking, and most importantly, real-life, in-the-trenches innovation experience in finance and software industries. Deborah appreciates and shares with clients and audiences that digital transformation is less about the digital and more about the people. When it comes to thinking about technology, innovation, and the future, you can choose to act today to shape your future. The best investment you can make is investing in what's between your ears by taking ownership of your personal growth. Everyone, regardless of role, must stay on top of technology and trends to stay ahead of tomorrow.

What surprises most clients is her ability to combine big company thinking and entrepreneurial ideas to create marketplace success. Deb's clients and audiences include companies like PNC, Wells Fargo, DLL Group, Huntington (TCF Bank), Dell, Mitsubishi UFG, Caterpillar, Key Equipment Finance.

She currently serves on the CLFP Foundation Board of Directors and authored The Certified Lease and Finance Professionals' Handbook, 6th – 9th editions. She served on ELFA's Board of Directors and is the founder and chair of the ELFA Innovation Advisory Council. In partnership with ELFA, she and her team moderate quarterly industry innovation roundtables for the ELFA to bring forward-thinking insights and fresh ideas to ELFA Members.

Reuben also served on the Monitor Editorial Advisory Board and co-founded the Disrupted+ innovation conference series with Monitor. She is the recipient of both the CLFP Foundation Cindy Spurdle Award of Excellence and the ELFA Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award. Monitor Magazine honored her as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women Leaders in Equipment Finance, named TomorrowZone one of the most innovative companies in the equipment finance ecosystem and honored her as an Industry Disruptor Icon. Learn more at tomorrowzone.io.

Ricardo Rios Jr, CFA, CLFP

COO
Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc.


Ricardo “Ricky” Rios is COO of Commercial Equipment Finance, Inc. (“CEFI”), an independent equipment financing and leasing company headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ricardo joined CEFI in 2012, having previously worked for Banco Popular of Puerto Rico. Ricardo currently serves as the Independent BCSC Chair and Board Member of Puerto Rico Business Development Corp., a SBA certified development company.

Barry Ripes

SVP, Financial Services Leader
Equifax


Barry Ripes is Senior Vice President, Financial Services Leader at PayNet / Equifax Commercial. Barry leads the Financial Institutions, Commercial Finance, Capital Markets, and Fin Tec & Payments businesses.

Jeffrey Rogers

CEO
LiftForward, Inc


Jeffrey Rogers has over 20 years of executive management experience in technology, e-commerce, and operations.  Mr. Rogers is the President & CEO of LiftForward, Inc., which provides OEM device manufacturers and retailers with Device-as-a-Service (“DaaS”) software platforms that power subscription programs and services. LiftForward reduces the DaaS complexity with a platform that connects all the components necessary for successful subscription programs including, point-of sale software, white labelled e-commerce customer experiences, inventory management, fulfillment, account management and analytics reporting. LiftForward has developed the largest integrated network of major OEMs, financial institutions and retailers in over 10 countries.
 
Prior to LiftForward, Mr. Rogers ran and grew several businesses after working in investment banking and law.  Mr. Rogers received his BA from Washington and Lee University, his JD from Washington and Lee University School of Law, and finally, his MBA from the Darden School at the University of Virginia.  LiftForward and Jeffrey Rogers have been the recipient of numerous awards including regional finalist EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Finovate presenter, and Smart CEO Future 50.

Michael Romanowski CPA

CoBank Enterprise Leader, Cash Management
Farm Credit Leasing


As president of CoBank Farm Credit Leasing (FCL), Mike Romanowski is responsible for the overall management of FCL and leading the organization’s staff in 13 regional offices across rural America. Mr. Romanowski is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is a member of CoBank's Division Leadership Team.

Previously, he served as a national leasing sales manager for the leasing division, with responsibility for customer relationship management, association channel sales, fleet services, marketing and training. He has been with CoBank since 1997 and has held a variety of leadership roles at the bank, including leasing, operations, strategic relationships and non-credit services.

Prior to joining CoBank, Mr. Romanowski worked for a Big Four accounting firm, a medium-sized produce wholesaler, a major car rental company and a Fortune 50 information systems consulting firm. He has extensive experience in both business and information technology.

In addition to his Bank responsibilities, he serves on the Mill City Farmers Market Board and is a member of the Finance Committee.

Mr. Romanowski earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Northern Illinois University. He passed the CPA exam in Illinois in 1982.

Marci Rossell

Former CNBC Chief Economist and Co-Host of SQUAWK BOX
SQUAWK BOX


Marci Rossell electrifies audiences nationwide, speaking on the nexus of economics, politics, culture and the media. Her animated style was honed when she served as the popular, lively Chief Economist for CNBC in the months immediately following September 11th. She takes complex economic issues, often dull in the button-down business press, and makes them relevant to people's lives, families and careers. Prior to her career in broadcast journalism, Marci served as Corporate Economist and Investment Spokesperson for OppenheimerFunds, one of the nation's largest mutual fund companies. Before moving to Wall Street, she was an expert witness for Deloitte and Touche in court cases involving economic issues. Marci began her career as an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Vinodh Sankaranthi I


John Deere Financial


Larry Scherzer CLFP

Senior Director
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation


Larry is currently the Senior Director and the global leader of the Cisco Capital’s Strategy and Payment Solutions team.  The team’s mission is to align with Cisco’s Partner, Sales and Business Units to design and provide new payment solutions such as;
 
 Consumption and as a service solutions
 Bundled technology solutions and subscriptions
 Lifecycle selling  
 
Prior to joining Cisco Capital Larry was the Chief Sales Officer and founding member of the SGEF USA, the US equipment finance subsidiary of Société Générale, and General Manager responsible for overseeing The CIT Group’s ownership interest in Dell Financial Services.
 

Tony Sedlacek CLFP

SVP/Portfolio Management
Orion First Financial, LLC


Mr. Sedlacek is Senior Vice President of Portfolio Management and brings valuable executive management, lending, and sales acumen to the Orion First, LLC leadership team. He is responsible for all collection activities and collection performance of the company. His duties also include, developing and achieving short and long term commercial collections contingent growth; to lead, manage and develop all aspects of customer service, collection and advanced collections staff.

With nearly thirty years working in the lending industry, Tony’s experience in business finance includes workout negotiation, loan restructure, asset recovery and contract enforcement. Previously, as a consultant to Orion, Tony provided oversight of marketing strategies while generating interest by targeting banks, lessors, and investors looking for alternative ways to manage an existing or start up equipment finance portfolio. His skills and experience in lease and loan enforcement for commercial equipment brings added depth to the Orion First team.

Tony obtained his CLFP in May 2000 and he currently resides in Scottsdale, Arizona with his wife, Coelene. They enjoy spending time with their four grown children and growing number of grandchildren, playing golf and raising an 8lb Yorkie named Divot.

Joel Shapiro Esq.

Partner
Blank Rome LLP


Joel Shapiro's aviation practice is focused on assisting a variety of clients in acquiring, financing, leasing, and managing aircraft including:
  • Regional, national, and international clients (individuals and corporations) in all facets relating to the purchase and sale of corporate aircraft
  • Individuals and companies in negotiating and purchasing a fractional interest in an aircraft from one of the larger fractional providers/managers in the marketplace
  • Individuals and companies in negotiations and documentation of aircraft management or leasing agreements under Parts 91 and 135 of the Federal Aviation Regulations
  • Aviation lenders in connection with all facets of the financing agreements as well as the process of repossessing and foreclosing upon aircraft
 
Joel is recognized as a leader in the field of bankruptcy and restructuring law by Chambers USA. Chambers sources call him “forthright, with very good business sense” and also note that he is “a terrific lawyer, who is talented, smart, very dedicated to clients and a terrific advocate” and “an exceptional lawyer, who is good on his feet” who “is best known for his prowess in Section 363 sales.” Clients call him “both strategic and tactical” and a “great lawyer who is smart, personable and charming.”

Joel is a frequent writer and lecturer on bankruptcy issues. He recently spoke at the American Bankruptcy Institute’s Mid-Atlantic Bankruptcy Workshop on “Anything but Bankruptcy!: ABC’s of Receivership and Other Alternatives” and wrote an article for the Journal of Corporate Renewal regarding the Bankruptcy Abuse, Prevention, and Consumer Protection Act of 2005.

Alan Sikora CLFP

CEO
First American Equipment Finance, an RBC / City National Company


Alan Sikora is the CEO of First American Equipment Finance, a wholly-owned subsidiary of City National Bank, an RBC Company. Alan joined First American in 2002 and has held various roles of increasing responsibility in credit, operations, sales and sales leadership. Alan holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Rochester. He completed his MBA at the University of Rochester's Simon School of Business with concentrations in Finance and Entrepreneurship. He holds a Certified Leasing & Finance Professional designation and sits on the advisory board for the Rochester Institute of Technology’s business school. Alan has been active in the ELFA since 2002, was elected to the Financial Institutions Business Council Steering Committee in 2013 and became Chair of the committee in 2014. Alan currently serves as a member of the ELFA Board of Directors.

Harrison Smith

Managing Director
Stonebriar Commercial Finance


Harrison Smith serves as Vice President for Stonebriar Commercial Finance, where he primarily focuses on structuring, underwriting, negotiating, and closing large-ticket loans and leases across manufacturing, maritime, energy, and technology industries. In addition to his role at Stonebriar, Harrison volunteers his time as a member of the ELFA’s Emerging Talent Advisory Council, where he leads the Education & Professional Development Taskforce and serves as a liaison to the Independent Business Council. Harrison earned his BA form Rollins College and his MBA from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.

Michelle Speranza CLFP

SVP, Chief Marketing Officer
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.


As Chief Marketing Officer for LEAF, Michelle Speranza, CLFP, is responsible for developing and directing execution of the company’s omnichannel marketing, corporate branding, and internal communications strategies. Michelle is a noted thought leader, advocate for professional women, and frequent contributor to ENX Magazine, the Monitor, and other industry publications. She is also Chair of the ELFA Women’s Council, where she leads work to support greater access and inclusion for women at all stages of their equipment finance industry careers. Michelle served on the marketing team for the Walt Disney Company prior to joining LEAF in 2005. She is a graduate of Gwynedd-Mercy College and attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to raising three energetic boys, two of whom are teenagers, and being active in their schools, Michelle is an avid reader and fitness enthusiast.

Carl Spilker

EVP of Analytics and Advisory
GDS Link LLC


Carl is an accomplished global experienced executive who has held senior leadership roles for companies such as Ezcorp Inc., Provident Financial Group, Dollar Financial Group, Lloyds TSB, GE Private Label Credit Cards and Experian Scorex. He has a proven executive management track record and over 20+ years' experience delivering consumer lending products offline and online, utilizing complex analytical instruments, and experience in small business portfolio management. Carl has purposely transitioned across prime, subprime and deep subprime lending for the challenge to deliver best in class risk, analytics and profitability across multi-channel products and services.

Tawnya Stone CLFP

Vice President, Strategic Technology
GreatAmerica Financial Services


Tawnya Stone, Vice President, Strategic Technology, is responsible for the overall strategic direction, oversight and implementation of customer-facing tools and products across various GreatAmerica business units. She works in close collaboration with business unit and functional leadership and external technology partners. Tawnya joined GreatAmerica in 2011 as an IT Project Manager and eventually evolved into subsequent roles that blended technology and customer facing activities. Prior to joining GreatAmerica she worked for Philips Electronics and Verizon Communications in the Washington DC metro area.

Tawnya was the previous President of the Managed Print Services Association (MPSA) and Executive Council member of CompTIA’s Technology Lifecycle Services (TLS) Community and past Chair of CompTIA’s Managed Print Services (MPS) Community. She was recognized by ENX as Difference Maker in 2016 and 2018. Tawnya also is a member the Technology Innovation working group and Chair of the Operations and Technology committee within the ELFA.

Wayne Super

Vice President, Capital Markets
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation


Wayne is currently a member of Cisco Capital's senior executive team serving as Managing Director of The Global Partner Organization & Capital Markets.  He oversees a department responsible for business development and capitalization programs for Cisco's distributors and resellers.  Wayne's previous roles at Cisco Capital were Chief Financial Officer, Chief Risk Officer, and Director of Venture Financing.
 
Prior to joining Cisco, Wayne worked at Akzo Noble, Pitney Bowes, and the United States Navy.   Outside of work, Wayne previously served on the advisory board of Ozone International, LLC, Deutsche Bank Client Advisory Board, and CEMC steering committee.  
 
He also maintains involvement in organizations such as Atlanta Community Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and Autism Speaks.  Wayne holds a bachelor's degree from University of Missouri, and a master's degree in Business Administration from Keller Graduate School of Management. 
 

Scott Thacker CPA, CLFP

Chief Executive Officer
Ivory Consulting Corporation


Mr. Thacker is the Chief Executive Officer of Ivory Consulting Corporation, the software and consulting company that has helped define the modern equipment finance industry with the proven software solutions for modeling, analyzing, and pricing equipment leases and loans, managing equipment, and optimizing portfolios.

Scott is the immediate past chair of the Board of Trustees of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation, where he is founding chair of The 1989 Society, the legacy giving initiative. He is also the founding chair of ELFA Equity, the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA) diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative.

His previous volunteer roles with the ELFA include being a member of the Board of Directors, a member of the Finance Accounting Committee, chair of the Operations and Technology Committee, and co-director of the Foundation’s Research Committee.

Thacker is a member and DEI lead (leave of absence 2023) of Sand Hill Angels, one of the largest angel investment groups based in Silicon Valley. Previously, he served on the Board of Advisors of StartOut for over ten years and was a judge for the business plan competition for the Wharton Executive MBA program and the Visa Everywhere Initiative. He is a second-generation board member of The Ridgewood School.

Prior to joining Ivory Consulting, he was a partner at Accenture and earlier, a Senior Director at Oracle. Thacker began his career at Arthur Andersen & Co.

Thacker holds an M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Accounting from Wake Forest University. He holds the C.P.A. (active) and C.L.F.P. certificates.

Kaitlin Thompson

New Product Development & Sales Enablement Specialist
Siemens Financial Services, Inc.


Patricia Voorhees

Director
The Alta Group LLC


Patricia M. Voorhees, a director at The Alta Group, has over 25 years of experience in commercial finance. Her expertise focuses on forming captive financing companies, establishing vendor finance programs, and facilitating mergers and acquisitions within the commercial finance industry. After launching her career at IBM, Voorhees was an executive at GE Capital from 1996 to 2011, where she served in several key roles.
 
In her initial position as vice president for business development, Patricia was responsible for establishing more than a dozen new vendor and captive finance programs. She then became managing director of business development for M&As, managing more than 14 acquisition originations. Later she was the company’s general manager of Office Imaging Finance, leading a small-ticket leasing business with $5.5 billion in assets and 450 employees. She also was GE Capital’s strategic pricing leader during the U.S. financial crisis.
 
Patricia holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Western Connecticut State University, and two masters of arts degrees from Fordham University, in education for peace and social justice, and ethics and society. Patricia currently serves as Director of Fordham University Business School’s Consortium for Trustworthy Organizations.

Thomas Ware

President
Tom Ware Advisory Services, LLC


Now an independent analytics, risk, and credit scoring consultant, Tom Ware was for 18 years Senior Vice President of Analytics & Product Development at PayNet, which was acquired by Equifax in 2019. In that role he was responsible for the development of PayNet’s MasterScore and probability of default models, which have been used by hundreds of lenders to help decision millions of commercial loan and lease applications worth over $300 billion. He was also responsible for creating loss forecasting models, peer lender performance benchmarking and Strategic Business Reviews, and for developing a wide variety of research about commercial lending that appeared regularly at ELFA conferences as well as in the Wall Street Journal, American Banker, RMA Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, Crain’s, Bloomberg, Reuters, AP, CNBC, ABC News, Congressional Testimony, and the published papers of two Federal Reserve Governors.

Prior to PayNet, Tom had 17 years’ experience as a lender with banks and finance companies, including as General Manager of a billion-dollar division of J.I. Case/CNH Capital, and as Chief Credit Officer & Senior Vice President, Operations of Rockford Industries, a NASDAQ-traded finance company that was acquired by American Express. Tom began working with commercial credit scoring in the mid-1990s, when he was responsible for bring scoring to a mid-sized bank, and within a few years developed scores that were auto-decisioning 40% of applications under $100,000. Previously he founded Sequa Credit Corporation, later acquired by Hypercom. Tom began his career with a Boston management consulting firm that became the New England office of Oliver Wyman.

Tom is Chairman of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Research Committee, and is a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and its Executive Committee. He is a long-time member of the ELFA’s Credit & Collection’s Committee, and previously served on ELFA’s Small Ticket Business Council, and on the Board of Governors of RMA’s Washington D.C. & Maryland chapter. He is a frequent contributor to Equipment Leasing Today and the Monitor, where he published, as a three-part series of articles, “The 12 Secrets of Commercial Credit Scoring.” The ELFA selected him as the 2021 recipient of the Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award, for contributions to the Association and the industry. Tom graduated with Distinction in Mathematical Economics from Dartmouth College, and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Stephen Whelan

Partner
Blank Rome LLP


As a partner in three different law firms for 44 years, Steve Whelan practices law in the New York office of Blank Rome LLP, where he concentrates his practice on lease financings, securitization, energy finance and secured lending. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, has been a member of the ELFA Board of Directors and Legal Committee, Chair of the American Bar Association Subcommittee on Leasing, and a Visiting Lecturer on constitutional law at Princeton University.

Steve is co-author of the ABA Annual Survey on Developments in the Law of Leases. He has authored four books on U.C.C. Article 2A and the “Securitization” chapters in the Matthew Bender & Co. treatises on Commercial Finance and Equipment Leasing. From 2019 to 2022, he was an appointed observer to the ALI-ULC Subcommittee on Bundled Transactions.

David Wiener

Managing Director
The Alta Group LLC


David Wiener, is regarded as a leading authority on equipment finance demographics having curated the most comprehensive personal library on U.S. equipment finance statistics and historical trends. He served 16 years as ELFA Research Committee Chair and 12 years as a trustee on the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation.
 
As a managing director with The Alta Group, David has served as a strategic advisor to many equipment finance firms on a variety of engagements including acquisition due diligence, process improvement, professional development, and new market entry. Prior to joining Alta, David launched and directed the capital markets platforms for three of the top-ten vendor leasing firms, collaborating on the execution of over $50 billion in transactions.
 
 
He has co-authored white papers for the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation including The Place of the Independent Equipment Leasing & Finance Company and Municipal Leasing & the Risk of Non-Appropriation. David is a member of the editorial board of the Monitor.
   
   

Heather Wilson

Chief Commercial Officer, BMO Transportation Finance
BMO Harris Bank


Heather Wilson is the Chief Commercial Officer of BMO Transportation Finance and offices out of Irving, TX. Her responsibilities include facilitating the ideation and implementation of: BMOTF's growth initiatives, digital strategy, customer lifecycle management, strategic planning, analytics and research, product development, sales force deployment, as well as marketing and communications.    
Prior to joining BMO, Heather held a series of roles across five different functions in General Electric. She began her GE Capital career as an associate in GE Capital's Management Development Program. Through her experiences, she has developed a passion for innovating, coaching young leaders, and balancing profitability with maximizing the customer's experience.  
Heather is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt and experienced facilitator. She served as the Dallas Fort Worth hub leader for GE's Women's Network, and is currently a member of BMO's Executive Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee.  Heather is looking forward to joining the National Trailer Dealers Association's Board of Directors at the end of the year.  She is currently holds a seat on Women in Trucking's Board of Directors and was recognized as one of Women in Trucking's Top Women to Watch in 2019.
 

Peter Zeihan

Geopolitical Strategist and Forecaster
Author, The Absent Superpower


Zeihan’s worldview marries the realities of geography and populations to a deep understanding of how global politics impact markets and economic trends, helping industry leaders navigate today’s complex mix of geopolitical risks and opportunities. With a keen eye toward what will drive tomorrow’s headlines, his irreverent approach transforms topics that are normally dense and heavy into accessible, relevant takeaways for audiences of all types.
 
In his career, Zeihan has ranged from working for the US State Department in Australia, to the DC think tank community, to helping develop the analytical models for Stratfor, one of the world’s premier private intelligence companies. Mr. Zeihan founded his own firm -- Zeihan on Geopolitics -- in 2012 in order to provide a select group of clients with direct, custom analytical products. Today those clients represent a vast array of sectors including energy majors, financial institutions, business associations, agricultural interests, universities and the U.S. military.
 
His freshman book, The Accidental Superpower, debuted in 2014. His sophomore project, Shale New World, will be released later this year.

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