Equipment Leasing and Finance Association - Investing Forward

Mary Abbajay

President
Careerstone Group

Mary Abbajay, author of the best-selling Managing Up: How to Move Up, Win at Work, and Succeed with Any Type of Boss is the president of Careerstone Group, LLC, a full service organizational and leadership development consultancy that delivers leading-edge talent and organizational development solutions to business and government.

As a sought-after author, speaker, consultant, and trainer, Mary helps clients develop the strategies, skills and sensibilities needed for success in the 21st century. Her expertise lies in helping clients create dynamic and productive workplaces that foster professional and personal excellence and growth. In short, she is committed to creating workplaces where both the organization and the individual can flourish.

Mary Abbajay brings over 20 years of leadership experience, a master’s degree in Organizational Management, and post-graduate certificates from Georgetown University and the Coaches Training Institute. In addition to being an entrepreneur and consultant, Mary has served as adjunct faculty at George Mason University’s School of Management and has taught at both Montgomery College and the Georgetown University Center for Professional Development.

Mary is a frequent expert contributor for television, radio and print publications where she provides practical leadership and career advice. In addition to her role as a Forbes.com contributor, her work and advice have appeared in the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, The Financial Times, Money, Southwest Airlines Magazine, Monster, and the BBC.

Mary currently serves on the Greater Washington Market President’s Board of BB&T Bank and is a past Chairman of the Board for Leadership Greater Washington where she has chaired and led the adult Signature program, the Youth Leadership Program and the Rising Leaders Program. She was a volunteer mentor for Mentor’s Inc., an urban youth mentoring program and served for six years on the Board of Directors of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Mary was the co-owner of the Toledo Lounge and Crush Nightclub in Adams Morgan.

In 2010, Mary was named as one of Washington Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business and was a Smart CEO Brava Award recipient in 2017.

Richard Andersen

Vice President, Specialty Finance and Syndications
Key Equipment Finance

Michael Baez CLFP

Senior Vice President, Professional Services
Leasepath

Michael Baez, CLFP is the Vice President of Customer Strategy and Professional Services with Leasepath, driving delivery and innovation for the industry-leading technology solutions provider. Michael is a subject matter specialist in equipment finance. For almost 40 years, he has worked extensively in the financial services industry with global experience in equipment finance, credit risk, corporate treasury, cash and wealth management, process and risk management, operations, and technology.

Paul Bent Esq

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.

Jeffrey Bilbrey

CEO
Leasepath

Introducing Jeffrey Bilbrey, a distinguished professional with a remarkable trajectory in spearheading and advancing enterprise technology products and associated services since the early 1990s. Presently, he assumes the prestigious role of CEO within Leasepath's global business landscape, where he undertakes the pivotal responsibility of ensuring utmost customer satisfaction while propelling the flagship cloud-based finance origination platform to the zenith of the market. Leasepath's exceptional growth journey is underpinned by the augmentation of its product portfolio, heightened market visibility, and the delivery of pioneering market-leading functionalities through an agile cloud infrastructure.

Jeffrey Bilbrey's career narrative has been closely intertwined with the realm of Information Technology and consultancy. His affinity for software products transcends mere technicality, driven by a profound appreciation for how technology and automation can adeptly resolve tangible business challenges. His professional odyssey commenced post-university, embarking on a five-year stint as a consultant within the telecom sector across Europe (AMS - American Management Systems). Subsequently, Bilbrey embraced a pivotal role within a Boulder-based startup, contributing to pioneering efforts in online banking and bill-pay technologies (Avolent). His journey encompassed several transformative years within the Property & Casualty Insurance technology arena as a global product manager and delivery lead (Sentry Insurance, Majesco). Carving his path through diverse domains, Bilbrey emerged as a prominent figure in Healthcare IT (Cancer Treatment Centers of America) before assuming a leadership role as a board member and president within a publicly traded multinational engaged in commercial finance software.

Residing in Thousand Oaks, CA, Jeffrey Bilbrey shares his life with his wife and three children. Beyond his professional endeavors, he is an avid outdoors enthusiast, deeply passionate about pursuits such as hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, cycling, running, and triathlons. His exploration of the natural world allows him to relish the serenity and marvels it offers.

Brian Bjella

Chief Revenue Officer
GreatAmerica Financial Services

John Bober

Managing Member
IXL Lease Advisory Services, LLC

Cortland Brady

CEO
Aspen Field Services

Angelita Branch

Manager, Business Information Technology
Sasser Family Companies

Angie Branch?was the original Product Manager for Rail360 at Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co., leading the discovery, roadmapping, and initial implementation efforts for the system. Angie has been part of the Sasser Family Companies team since 2006, holding various roles in Information Technology leadership, Finance, and Accounting.

Angie is currently Manager, Business Information Technology at Sasser Family Companies and is Product Manager for systems at Express 4x4 Truck Rental, a Sasser subsidiary. Throughout her time as the Product Manager for various key systems across Sasser, Angie has been a champion of IT Governance best practices, the Agile development methodology, and most importantly building strong relationships and trust with internal and external stakeholders. Angie is passionate about creating an environment in which her team, peers, company, and community can thrive. In 2020, Angie was part of the team that was awarded the Fred R. Sasser Stewardship Award, a top honor at Sasser that recognizes a contribution with lasting impact that is expected to help preserve, protect, and enhance the Sasser organization and its culture.

Angie is elated that the Rail360 team is being recognized for their extraordinary accomplishments and is proud to have contributed to the effort.

William Bullock

SVP, Capital Markets
ATEL Capital Group

Josh Chesser

Interim General Manager
Sasser Family Companies

Josh Chesser is the interim General Manager for Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co. (CFCL). He is responsible for the development and execution of the company's strategic plan. Before his leadership position, he held the title of Sr. Vice President, Sales & Marketing. In that role he was responsible for all aspects of Sales, Customer Service and Portfolio Management. CFCL’s primary focus is on delivering a positive customer experience through best-in-class service.

Prior to joining CFCL in 2016, he was Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Salco Products, Inc. Salco Products is a leading component supplier in the rail market. He led the sales and customer support functions through over 15 years of company innovation. In his executive role, he was responsible for development and execution of top line revenue growth as well as development of a variety of markets including expansion into the European and middle east rail / trucking componentry.

Josh is heavily involved in the Traffic Club of Chicago, serving as Chairman of the Networking & Golf Committee as well as serving as the Vice President of the club. The club's main objective is to connect transportation professionals through networking and educational opportunities.

Greg Clark

President/Founder
Vastra Consulting

Working in the equipment finance industry for over 10 years as a lender and as a technical expert helping lenders increase their profitability and speed in which they transact business through digital transformation. Providing expertise and management of software implementations via the Salesforce platform for equipment finance, the mortgage industry, independent finance, captive finance, banks, and credit unions. Moderate and guest speaking on panels for multiple associations over the past decade; NEFA, AACFB, ELFA.

Robert Cohen

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Robert S. Cohen is a Partner at Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP, with offices located on Long Island and in New York City. With over 26 years of experience in all facets of the equipment leasing and asset based lending industries, Bob's practice is devoted to commercial litigation, creditors' rights, corporate transactions and bankruptcy matters. Bob has particular experience in the documentation of financial transactions, enforcement of equipment leases and secured loans, as well as the negotiation of workouts and resolutions. He frequently serves as a speaker and author on various topics relating to the leasing industry.

Bob devotes a significant portion of his time as an active member of ELFA, serving on its Credit and Collections Management Committee, as well as participating as a presenter at its various conferences, including its 2013 Legal Forum Conference, and 2012 and 2011 Credit and Collections Conferences where he served as a speaker at sessions on litigation strategy, electronic discovery, forbearance agreements, lease/secured transaction documentation and legal updates in the finance industry. He is also an active member of NEFA, serving on both its Legal and Education Committees and participating as a presenter at its annual conferences.

In 2012, Bob also presented at the Association of Commercial Finance Attorneys' CLEW Conference. In addition to his professional endeavors, Bob is an active supporter of the Special Olympics of New York-Long Island Region, where he has served as a Chairman of its Annual Gold Coast Tour for Champions Golf Outing for the past eleven years.

Quentin Cote CLFP

President
Orion First Financial, LLC

Mr. Cote is President of Orion First. His responsibilities include leading the teams managing business development, human resources, revenue growth and Orion’s finances.

Quentin’s 35 years in the finance industry and proven track record in private investing, specialty finance, structured finance, capital markets, and finance company operations provide him valuable relationships, experience, and expertise in helping Orion deliver its services and further develop its offerings. ?In his past roles, Quentin has served as Vice President at State Street Bank, Director at Sherman Financial Group, Managing Director at Babson Capital Management (now Barings), and Head of Private Investments at Cambridge Place Investment Management.

Quentin works to support strong partnerships with our clients and help the business development team acquire new relationships.? Additionally, he is supporting new product and process development to ensure that Orion stands as a leader in delivering portfolio insights, strong performance, and a rewarding obligor experience.

A graduate of Dartmouth College and the MIT Sloan School of Management, Mr. Cote currently resides in Boston with his wife. His hobbies include spending time outdoors, golf, lacrosse, and travel.

James Cress

Vice President & General Manager
Flex Financial, Stryker

James Cress has been an active member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) since 2000. He served on the Board of Directors for nearly a decade before being elected Chair in 2024. A former head of ELFA’s political action committee, LeasePAC, Cress’ top focus today is working with President and CEO Leigh Lytle to fortify the association’s advocacy efforts. He is similarly passionate about advancing ELFA efforts to support and mentor the next generation of industry talent. Cress is a long-time supporter of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s efforts in this area and often gives guest lectures to students interested in joining the industry.

In addition to his Board role, Cress serves as Vice President and General Manager of Stryker’s captive finance arm Flex Financial. He leverages more than 30 years of experience in banking and finance to help deliver financial solutions that make it easier for Stryker’s customers to reach their clinical and financial goals. His past experience includes serving as Senior Vice President and Vendor Business Unit Director at National City Commercial Capital and Vice President in Small Business Banking at US Bank before joining Flex Financial/Stryker in 2008.

Cress holds a B.S. in economics and an M.S. in executive leadership and organizational change from Northern Kentucky University.

Diane Croessmann

Director
The Alta Group LLC

Jeanette Dannenfelser

Executive Vice President, General Counsel
Summit Funding Group, A First Financial Bank Company

Debra Devassy Babu

Shareholder
Darcy & Devassy PC

Cristina Dolan

CEO
Inside Chains

Melissa Donaldson

Senior Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer
Wintrust Capital

Melissa Donaldson is the first chief diversity officer at Wintrust, where she partners with leadership to establish diversity and inclusion strategies for business success, employee engagement, and positioning Wintrust as an employer of choice and responsible corporate citizen. She established the ubiquitous One Wintrust masthead as a unifying guidepost, established the annual executive diversity forum assembling internal top executives, and launched Paired to Win to accelerate the development of a multicultural senior leadership bench. Known among practitioners as iconic in the diversity, equity and inclusion space, Melissa served as director of diversity networks and communication for Walgreens, and CDW’s first director of inclusion practices. Her leadership resulted in CDW earning the Exemplary Voluntary Efforts Award from the U.S. Department of Labor in 2008, and spearheading the award-winning Walgreens Diversity & Inclusion Annual Report, establishing regional diversity councils nationwide, and creating the inaugural WBA Global Executive Women’s Conference.

Crain’s Chicago Business named Melissa one of the Top Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Executives in 2021. She has published work in Profiles in Diversity Journal, Diversity Executive, and Workforce Management magazines and is a frequent speaker for numerous organizations and conferences, including the Northwestern Intersections podcast and Career Mix on SiriusXM satellite radio. Other accolades include Diversity Woman Magazine Elite 100 Black Women Leaders, Chicago United Business Leaders of Color, Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Diversity Executives, Crain’s Chicago Business Most Influential Women in Commercial Banking, Women Worth Watching by Profiles in Diversity Journal, and Diversity Officer Leadership Award recipient from Diversity Best Practices.

Melissa holds Master of Science in Communication from Northwestern University, Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University, and Bachelor of Science in Management Science from Wright State University. She is a guest lecturer at Northwestern University, and serves on a variety of boards and councils including Chicago Sinfonietta, Skills for Chicagoland’s Future, Financial Services Pipeline Steering Committee Co-Chair, Chicago United Leadership Council, and UCAN Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council. Melissa is a Leadership Greater Chicago Daniel Burnham Fellow, and holds membership in the Economic Club of Chicago, and The Links, Inc.

Michael Dow

Partner
Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP

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.

Jacquelyn Dusseau CLFP

VP of Data Analytics & Corporate Development
Fleet Advantage, LLC

Ray Ellingsen

Senior Vice-President of Syndication & Operations
Corcentric Capital Equipment Solutions, LLC

Jeffry Elliott CLFP

Founder & CEO
Elevex Capital, LLC

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.

Katie Emmel

COO
Solifi

Ms. Emmel serves as Chief Operations Officer for IDS, the provider of InfoLease and Rapport, the proven, market leading solutions for origination and portfolio management in the equipment finance industry.

Ms. Emmel is responsible for IDS's global professional services, support and product management organizations. With more than 30 years of strategic product management experience, she is a proven thought leader in product strategy and brings extensive expertise on lease and loan software and client management. Prior to her executive team appointment, Ms. Emmel held key SVP and Senior Director positions at IDS.

Ms. Emmel is on the Board of Trustees for the Equipment Lease and Finance Foundation and participates on the foundation research and development committees. Ms. Emmel is also a member of the ELFA Technology Innovation working group and a prior member of the ELFA Operations and Technology Committee.

Jacob Fahl CLFP

Director of Capital Markets
KLC Financial LLC

Jacob is responsible for managing and leading MHCA’s 3rd-party syndications division. Involved in all aspects of serving the independent market, Jacob thrives in the energetic and reliable environment at MHCA. Jacob’s contributions range not only in sales and customer service but all the way through legal and contract negotiation, sales and managing Division P&L.

For the past four years, Jacob has been on the ELFA’s Emerging Talent Advisory Council, contributing to the growing need to involve energetic talent at all levels of the industry. Within MHCA, Jacob also leads their Diversity & Inclusion Committee, focused on bringing awareness and action to workplace engagement.

Jacob holds a Bachelor’s degree and MBA from Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN. Jacobs still resides in Marshall with his wife, Angie and four children.

Thomas Ficca

Managing Director - Capital Markets
First Citizens Bank Equipment Finance

Tom Ficca is a Managing Director in the Capital Markets Group for the CIT Bank N.A. In this position Tom leads the syndication effort for the equipment leasing & finance businesses, more specifically CIT’s Business Capital division (vendor finance) and Capital Equipment Finance (large ticket) areas.

Tom has over 30 years of experience in the Equipment Finance Industry in Capital Markets as well sales leadership roles. The majority of Mr. Ficca’s career has been with the equipment finance divisions of commercial banks including First Fidelity (Wells Fargo), Key Bank, JP Morgan Chase and TIAA Bank (formerly EverBank Commercial Finance).

Julia Gavrilov

Partner
Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Julia Gavrilov concentrates her practice in equipment leasing, secured finance, asset-based lending and all areas of complex commercial litigation. On the transactional side, Ms. Gavrilov specializes in the drafting of equipment lease and loan documents in various secured financing transactions on behalf of secured lenders, banks and lessors, and in representing both buyers and sellers in syndication and capital market transactions. Based on her steady rise throughout the leasing and finance industry, Ms. Gavrilov has been invited to speak on numerous industry panels, including the Legal Forum for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the ELFA Annual Convention, the ELFA Credit & Collections conference and the National Equipment Finance Association’s Finance Summit.

As a seasoned litigator, Ms. Gavrilov’s commercial litigation practice includes the enforcement and/or preservation of lender/lessor’s rights under defaulted equipment lease and secured loan transactions, and in regularly representing both institutional and individual clients in actions involving breach of contract, fraud, shareholder derivative disputes, trademark infringement, counterfeiting, trade diversion, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO), attorney malpractice and bankruptcyrelated disputes before the Federal and State courts, as well as various arbitral bodies.

In addition to her daily practice, Ms. Gavrilov also Chairs the Firm’s Women’s Initiative program: “MHH WINS” – “Women’s Initiative for Navigating Success”, and serves as a member of the Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Education:

• New York Law School, J.D. 2006


• Barnard College, Columbia University, B.A. 2002

RJ Grimshaw

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ABLE Leadership, LLC

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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.

Whitney Hodges

Partner
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLC

Michael Hube

SVP, Capital Markets Team Lead
Fifth Third Bank, National Association

Michael is the Senior Vice President, Syndications – Team Lead, with Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Headquartered in Cincinnati Ohio, Fifth Third is a Super-Regional bank with $205 Billion in assets. Mr. Hube is responsible for generating fees and managing the Bank’s exposure for both credit and asset concentrations through the syndication of equipment leases and loans to various institutional investors.

Michael has been with Fifth Third for 16 years, holding a variety of roles within the equipment finance division including credit, pricing, portfolio management and syndications.

Mr. Hube received a Bachelor of Science in Business at Miami University (OH) and a Masters of Business Administration at Xavier University.

Michael has been involved in various roles with the ELFA by participating in Capital Connections and served on the Emerging Talent Advisory Counsel (ETAC) and the Financial Institutions Business Council Steering Committee

Bart Huffman

Partner
Reed Smith LLP

Bart has a systems engineering and intellectual property background and experience in privacy and information security matters that spans the modern history of the practice area. He provides advice concerning a wide range of matters within his field, including privacy and cybersecurity compliance and program development, sophisticated cloud and professional IT services agreements, software and data licensing, and cybersecurity, ransomware/extortion, and data breach preparedness and response. Bart regularly supports clients both in the negotiation of technology transactions and as to compliance with privacy and data protection laws on a national and international scale, including with respect to laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and, in collaboration with his EU colleagues, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Bart regularly works and speaks on privacy and security matters for energy, health care, financial services, transportation, construction, and other industry sectors. He holds a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law and a B.S.E. from Princeton University in Civil Engineering & Operations Research with a Certificate in Engineering and Management Systems.

Bart is admitted to practice law in Texas, New York and California, and before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. He has appeared in federal and state courts across the country, including in precedent-setting online copyright and privacy matters.

Bart is a Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/US, and he completed two terms on the Certifications Advisory Board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Bart is currently a cybersecurity fellow for the Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas, and he has also served as a visiting fellow of the Center for Information Technology at Princeton University. For the past seven years, he has taught as an adjunct professorat the University of Texas School of Law, teaching Privacy Law: Personal Data Under US and EU Law. In 2020, he served onthe legislatively-created Texas Privacy Protection Advisory Council.

Shea Huston

SVP - Strategy & Business Development
Dext Capital

Christopher Johnson

SVP & President
Pitney Bowes Global Financial Services

As the leader of Financial Services (FS), Christopher has accountability for all aspects of the business including strategy, growth and operations. This includes strategic analysis in global markets, assessing current capabilities against future opportunities, determining priorities for investment, organizational development and business culture. In this role he is also responsible for payments and shipping finance for the enterprise.

Christopher has held multiple business leadership and C-level roles at leading companies and has a proven track record of developing effective business strategies to accelerate growth. Prior to joining Pitney Bowes in April of 2016, he was President, Terex Financial Services, a global captive financial services company with multi-billion dollar assets under management in over 30 countries. Before that, Christopher spent 15 years with GE in both the industrial and financial segments of their business. For 11 years of his tenure, he was with GE Capital holding a number of executive leadership positions in their international commercial and consumer banking organizations. Most notably he was Managing Director, GE Capital and Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance. Prior to GE, he also held M&A, corporate and business development roles of increasing responsibility at Lincoln Financial Group and Markowitz & McNaughton.

Christopher has a BA from Georgetown University. He also completed the executive professional development series at GE’s Jack Welch Executive Leadership Institute.

Zachary Kimball

Co-Founder & CEO
Hardfin

Martin Klotzman CLFP

Director of Marketing and Operations

Martin Klotzman is the Director of Marketing and Operations at Ivory Consulting Corporation. He has digitized the company’s marketing strategy and approach by implementing automation systems and recreating the company’s vast marketing collateral repository.?Recently, he now leads the initiative to explore implementing AI into Ivory’s operations enabling employees to focus on more strategic tasks. 

Klotzman earned his Certified Lease & Finance Professional designation and has volunteered on various ELFA committees for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association since joining the equipment finance industry in 2014. He is a founding member and served as the 2022 chair of ELFA’s Emerging Talent Advisory Council.?He currently serves on the ELFA Innovation Advisory Council and was recently elected to join the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation Board of Trustees.

Cameron Krueger

President
Krueger and Krueger

Cam is a senior executive and consultant with over 35 years of experience in the equipment and auto finance industry. A recognized expert in operations, technology, and strategy, he has led transformative initiatives for the world’s largest banks, captive finance companies, and fintech lenders.

Most recently, Cam served as a Managing Director at Accenture, where he led the firm’s global equipment and auto finance consulting practice. In this role, he advised Fortune 500 companies on digital transformation, core platform modernization, and growth strategy.

Over the course of his career, he has worked with nearly every company in the Monitor 50 and has hands-on experience with almost every major technology platform in the industry. His deep familiarity with the vendor landscape and operational intricacies of the business makes him a uniquely valuable advisor.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and was Chairman of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation. In recognition of his contributions to the industry, he received ELFA’s Distinguished Service Award.

Since retiring from Accenture, Cam has continued to work with C-suite leaders as a trusted consultant, helping navigate emerging trends such as embedded finance, securitization, and private equity expansion in specialty lending. He also serves on boards across the for-profit, nonprofit, and industry association sectors.

An influential voice in the field, he frequently speaks at global conferences and writes for industry publications. His expertise lies in bridging deep industry knowledge with technology-enabled innovation to create lasting value.

Leonard Lane CLFP

SVP, Product Management
Odessa

Leonard Lane brings more than 25 years of accounting and IT experience in leasing and equipment finance to his position as SVP, Product Management for Odessa, a leader in lease and loan accounting software solutions. Leonard joined Odessa in 2016, leading the Product team with responsibility for the functional roadmap of all Odessa products. Prior to Odessa, Leonard held various accounting, IT and operations roles for Winthrop Resources Corporation and TCF Bank (1992-2016). Leonard holds MBA, Finance and Operations and BSB, Accounting degrees from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and is a certified public accountant (inactive). He was also a member of the ELFA Operations and Technology Committee from 2012 – 2015.

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.

Dan Michalek

CEO
Syndifi Inc.

Syndifi was founded by Dan Michalek, who also revolutionized and digitized the granting of credit within the Equipment Finance industry with the formation of PayNet which is now a division of Equifax.

Dan Michalek

CEO
Syndifi Inc.

Syndifi was founded by Dan Michalek, who also revolutionized and digitized the granting of credit within the Equipment Finance industry with the formation of PayNet which is now a division of Equifax.

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.

Jena Morgan CLFP

Fractional COO
360 Equipment Finance, LLC

Jena Morgan, CLFP leads the operations team of KLC Financial, Inc. since 2014. She strives to remove roadblocks from the sales cycle, enhance productivity from its people and to deliver a suburb customer experience. Jena’s vision for ongoing improvement, drive for execution on the deliverables and deep love for helping people get where they want to go, makes her a unique leader.

Jena is a technology visionary who has been able to see the impact technology and data can have on both the customer experience and operational excellence. She is passionate about taking visions from great ideas to people and profit powerhouses. She believes the equipment finance industry can be the leader in technology deployment rather than the follower.

Jena is honored to be on the 2022 CLFP Board of Directors as the NEFA liaison and a member on the planning committee for ELFA Technology and Operations conference. She is an avid advocate of industry organizations and continuing their strong partnership. She is excited to volunteer in these capacities.

Brock Morrison

Chief Information Officer
Sasser Family Companies

Brock Morrison is the chief information officer (CIO) for Sasser Family Companies (Sasser), a fourth-generation, family-owned transportation asset services and management company headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. Sasser's subsidiary business units include Chicago Freight Car Leasing, Union Leasing, Express 4x4 Truck Rental, CF Rail Services, Xced Aviation Services, and NxGen Rail.

Brock is an information technology and digital business leader who brings over 20 years of technology experience to Sasser's leadership team. He has full leadership responsibility for the company's information technology services, systems, and resources and reports directly to Sasser's CEO, Jeff Walsh. As part of the senior leadership team, Brock develops and aligns Sasser's information technology roadmap with corporate and business unit strategic priorities, including revenue growth, anticipating, and serving evolving customer needs, and planning for both the disruption and opportunities that technological advancements bring to the fore. He also works closely with Human Resources and Corporate Communications to shape and promote Sasser's culture, values, and purpose.

Before joining Sasser, Brock was vice president, Information Technology for FreightCar America, a publicly traded railcar manufacturer based in Chicago. In this executive role, he was responsible for application and infrastructure delivery, strategy and governance, and security and risk management. Brock's professional roots began in the rail transportation and logistics industries, where he progressed through technical roles ranging from Network Engineer to Software Architect.

Brock is actively involved in promoting knowledge-sharing among leading CIOs through his 3-year term as a member of the ChicagoCIO Advisory Board and serving as its Programs chair.

Scott Nelson

President & Chief Technology Officer, Board Member
Tamarack Technology, Inc.

A well-recognized expert in technology strategy and development including Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, Scott Nelson leads the company’s efforts to expand its impact on the industry through innovation with new products, system level thinking, and the application of new technologies with a design thinking methodology.

In his dual role at Tamarack, Nelson is responsible for the company’s vision and strategic planning as well as business operations. Since joining Tamarack in 2020, Nelson has led efforts to refocus the business strategy around investment in digital technologies in order to provide greater value across the equipment finance industry.

Nelson joined Tamarack with more than 30 years of experience leading product development, product management, and entrepreneurial business growth as a technology and business leader. After beginning his career at Honeywell in the Corporate R&D center, Nelson spent the next 15 years at Logic PD as CTO and EVP. More recently, Nelson served as the Chief Product Officer and Vice President of Product at Digi International, a leading global provider of business and mission-critical IoT products and services and the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) and Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at SkyWater Technology Foundry, where he led strategy, growth, and new-offering development.

Kelli Nienaber

Executive Director
Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation

Kelli Nienaber is the Executive Director of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation in Washington, DC. Having been in this role since 2011, she is the primary conduit to the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and volunteer governance committees. She oversees the business and staff of the Foundation, which propels the $1 trillion equipment finance sector—and its people—forward with its industry-specific knowledge, intelligence, and programs. Through free studies, internships, and Guest Lecture opportunities, the Foundation helps industry professionals navigate the changes coming up and make better business and personal career decisions.

Prior to the Foundation, Kelli’s career was focused in the government relations/political arena. She has successfully managed political involvement and grassroots campaigns, as well as developed and executed federal and state legislative strategy in corporate and trade association organizations. She began her professional career in the public sector working for former U.S. Senator Kit Bond (R-MO) both in his Washington, DC office and in her home state of Missouri.

Kelli holds a B.A. in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is an active volunteer serving on non-profit Boards in her community. Kelli and her husband Brian reside in Alexandria, VA with their four children.

Steve Oliver

National Director of Sales
Taylor & Martin Auctioneers and Appraisals

Steve Oliver
Vice President of Business Development – Taylor and Martin Auctioneers
Steve Oliver has been the National Director of Sales for Taylor and Martin Auctioneers since 2017 and was recently named the Vice President for Business Development. Steve heads a sales team that generates over $500 million in transportation truck and trailer sales, at over 50 live consignment and dispersal auctions annually. Prior to working for Taylor and Martin, Steve spent the bulk of his career in the auto dealership space, most recently as a General Manager for a large dealer group in Omaha.
Taylor and Martin is an employee owned auction, remarketing, appraisal, and consulting company based in Fremont, Nebraska. Taylor and Martin counts some of the country’s largest fleets, dealer groups, and transportation lenders as customers in both the auction and appraisal sides of the business. In business since 1935, Taylor and Martin is dedicated exclusively to the transportation equipment business.

Ryan Pereira

President
TAO Solutions Corp.

Ralph Petta

Robert Preville

CEO
APPROVE

Robert is a serial entrepreneur and investor, having founded and led several high growth companies in the B2B arena. Prior to KWIPPED, Robert founded and sold GlobalTestSupply.com, a world-class provider of test and measurement equipment that ranked #800 on the INC 5000 fastest growing companies list. Prior to that, he was the founding employee and Vice President of Sales for MFG.com, the leading online manufacturing marketplace and a portfolio company of Jeff Bezos's Bezos Expeditions. Robert started his career at EDS (now Siemens), is co-owner of the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, is an active angel investor via IMAF Cape Fear in Wilmington, NC and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Joseph Pulicano

Consulting Managing Director
Teamwill Consulting US Inc.

Brett Reed

EVP Partnerships
Mirah

Brett is the co-founder of Cohealo, a healthcare technology company that helps health systems share their surgical and medical equipment in order to save costs and drive efficiencies. While at Cohealo he held a variety of roles, including CEO. Brett most recently led the company's growth and business development strategy, and recently joined Mirah Health, a behavioral health technology company where he will leverage his extensive experience in the enterprise healthcare space. Brett also acts as an advisor to numerous healthcare and SaaS technology companies and is an early stage investor.

Brett received his BS at Eastern Michigan University and his MBA from the University of Miami. Brett lives in Melrose, MA with his wife and daughter and they can often be found in one of the many Mass Audubon sanctuaries.

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, 6^th – 9^th 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.

Barry Ripes

President, Co- Founder
PrivateCap

Rafe Rosato

Senior Vice President

Jennifer Sablowski

Vice President, Equipment Finance
Transport Enterprise Leasing, LLC

Jennifer Sablowski is the SVP, Truck and Equipment Leasing at Wheels(formerly LeasePlan USA) and manages the commercial team consisting of direct originations, syndications, and client services. She has 22 years of equipment leasing experience at LeasePlan with various prior roles including Accounting Director, Corporate Controller, Pricing Director, and VP Remarketing & Portfolio Administration. She holds a BS Finance from University of Florida, a MS Finance from Georgia State University, and most recently a MS Accounting from University of North Carolina. Jennifer enjoys mentoring and actively volunteers at her daughter’s school.

Adam Schneider

Partner
Oliver Wyman

Adam Schneider is a Partner in Oliver Wyman’s Digital and Banking Practices in the Americas. He focuses on large scale transformations in the industry and related development and execution of corporate strategy.

Adam has led some of the largest global programs at the world’s major financial institutions. He has worked extensively across most areas of banking, plus asset management, wealth management, and related change programs. His experience includes product development, cost restructuring, technology implementation, merger integration, and response to regulatory reform initiatives. Adam’s background as a technologist and former CTO/COO at an asset management firm helps him provide value as strategy development and implementation became more and more focused on technology capabilities. Convinced that ideas about forward change are critical to success, he previously managed the global eminence and thought leadership program for a major consultancy.

Adam is co-leading Oliver Wyman’s support for banks in addressing the LIBOR transition. The enormous economic implications combined with customer and counterparty impact across a broad range of products and processes makes this among the largest challenges the industry has seen in a long time. The need for thoughtful and coordinated responses will be an imperative. As part of this he is driving firm thought leadership on LIBOR.

Adam is a firm expert in complex change programs from formulation to execution. He is based in New York and has worked extensively throughout Europe and ASIAPAC.

Moorari Shah

Partner
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLC

Moorari K. Shah is Partner in the Orange County and San Francisco offices of Sheppard Mullin. He represents banks, equipment finance companies, fintechs, mortgage companies, auto lenders, and other non-bank financial institutions in transactional, licensing, regulatory compliance, and government enforcement matters covering mergers and acquisitions, consumer and commercial lending and leasing, and supervisory examinations and enforcement actions involving state and federal agencies.

Mr. Shah received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law (cum laude) and his B.A. from Duke University. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) and a certified Six Sigma Black Belt.

David Shin

Managing Director
KPMG LLP

Kris Snow

Kristine (Kris) A. Snow has more than two decades of commercial leasing and finance experience. In 2009, she joined Cisco Systems Capital Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cisco Systems, Inc. As President, she leads the company's global captive finance and certified remanufactured equipment businesses. Kris previously served as President of Global Vendor Finance at CIT Group.

Kris is currently serving as the Chairman of the Board at ELFA. During her tenure, Kris has been an active participant serving on the Board of Directors from 2008-2011 and returned to the Board in 2017. In addition to her current position on the Board, she is a member of ELFA's Executive, Nominating and Personnel Committees. Previously, she served as Chair of the Captive and Vendor Finance Business Council Steering Committee. She has also served as a participant in the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation's Industry Future Council and a contributor to previous “State of the Equipment Finance Industry” reports.

Outside of ELFA, Kris has been involved in numerous civic and community organizations. She serves on the Gonzaga University Board of Trustees and is Board Member Emeritus for St. Mary's College School of Economics and Business Administration. She was honored by the Computer Reseller News 2019 Women of the Channel list, received the Silicon Valley Business Journal's Women of Influence award, and the YWCA Tribute to Women Award for the Silicon Valley.

Kris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Gonzaga University and a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary's College of California.

Steven Spivey

Managing Director, Capital Markets
Truist Equipment Finance Corp.

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.

Denis Stypulkoski

Founder and Principal
Reimagine Advisors

Denis Stypulkoski is a seasoned business executive with a successful track record of launching and building a private equity startup into a major industry competitor. Denis is known as a senior executive who bridges the business and technology landscape. He has envisioned, developed, delivered and managed business startups and technology platforms in leading-edge technology environments, with a focus on revenue creation, digitalization, and customer experience.

Denis's leadership experience spans from startups to global companies within the technology, finance and banking industries and includes executive positions with TIAA Bank, EverBank, Tygris Commercial Finance Group, US Express Leasing, CIT Group, Newcourt Credit Group, and AT&T Capital Corporation.

Denis most recently launched Reimagine Advisors, a business transformation consultancy helping organizations reimagine their business to compete in the digital economy. He also serves as an independent director and chair of the technology committee on the boards of both GreatAmerica Financial Services and IFG Companies.

Shankar Subramanian

Lead Strategist and Business Development
NETSOL Technologies Inc.

Shankar Subramanian is a Senior Leader with international experience in Automotive Financial Solutions delivering large-scale projects with a track record of change management in USA, China, South Korea, and Singapore. Shankar currently is working as a Chief Strategy Officer for mobility marketplaces focusing on digital retail and subscription. You can reach Shankar at Shankar.S@netsoltech.com

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.

Beckham Thomas

CEO
Trnsact

Motofumi Tohda CLFP

Vice President / Information Systems
Tokyo Century (USA) Inc.

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Haylie Treas

Associate
Reed Smith LLP

Haylie has a civil litigation background and has experience advising clients in privacy and data security matters. Haylie provides advice concerning a wide variety of matters, including regulatory compliance, technology transactions, privacy and security policies and procedures, and data breach incident response. Haylie works on privacy and security matters for companies of all sizes that do business in the areas of energy, construction, software development, healthcare, and cybersecurity.

Haylie received her J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and is admitted to practice law in Texas and Oklahoma. She is designated as a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Haylie is also a OneTrust Certified Privacy Management Professional.

Andrew Vering

Director of Appraisal Services
Taylor & Martin Auctioneers and Appraisals

Andy Vering, ASA
Director of Appraisal Services, Taylor and Martin Auctioneers
Andy has been with Taylor and Martin since 2010. Initially starting on the Auction Set up crew, he moved into the appraisal department in 2011. In 2014, he took over a sales territory and sold approximately $85 million worth of trucks and trailers before taking over as the Director of Appraisal Services. Prior to Taylor and Martin, Andy worked as a manager on the family commercial cattle feed yard.
Taylor and Martin is an employee owned auction, remarketing, appraisal, and consulting company based in Fremont, Nebraska. Taylor and Martin counts some of the country’s largest fleets, dealer groups, and transportation lenders as customers in both the auction and appraisal sides of the business. In business since 1935, Taylor and Martin is dedicated exclusively to the transportation equipment business.

Patricia Voorhees

Director
The Alta Group LLC

Robert Wescott

President
Keybridge Research, LLC

Robert F. Wescott is Founder and President of Keybridge Research LLC, an economic consulting firm in Washington, DC, that has served major financial institutions, Fortune 500 companies, and leading business associations since 2001. Dr. Wescott concentrates on global macroeconomics, financial risks, and public policy research. He provides global asset allocation advice to high-profile international financial firms and is a frequent speaker to business and financial audiences around the world. Dr. Wescott also testifies as an expert before U.S. Congressional committees on economic, financial, and energy policy matters.

From 1999 until 2001, Wescott served as Special Assistant to the U.S. President for Economic Policy at the White House. As senior economic adviser to President Clinton, he helped to develop Administration policies toward G-7 countries, Russia, China, India, other key emerging-market economies, and the international financial system. During 1993-94, Wescott was Chief Economist at the President’s Council of Economic Advisers, where he developed the Administration’s U.S. macroeconomic forecasts and performed policy analysis. He helped write and edit the Economic Report of the President. From 1994 to 1999, Wescott was Deputy Division Chief at the International Monetary Fund. In the IMF’s Research Department he helped produce the World Economic Outlook, the Fund’s semi-annual review of world economic prospects, key risks, and policy challenges. In the European Department he was responsible for Eastern European countries in transition. He participated in IMF missions to Japan, China, Poland, and a number of countries in Western Europe.

Between 1982 and 1993 Wescott was Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at WEFA Group (now IHS Global Insight), the economic forecasting and consulting firm, where he oversaw all forecasting, economic modeling, consulting, and research activities for the U.S. Group. Before that he managed the firm’s Global Economic Outlook Committee and coordinated the firm’s international forecasting from centers in North America, Europe, and Asia. For nearly 10 years he wrote WEFA’s flagship monthly U.S. economic newsletter and he also co-authored its quarterly international economic newsletter. During these years he served as the firm’s primary public spokesman with clients and the media. In 1989-90, Wescott lived in Japan, where he helped the University of Pennsylvania establish the International Center for the Study of East Asia Development (ICSEAD) in Kitakyushu. ICSEAD does quantitative economic modeling and research on East Asian economies.

Dr. Wescott has published research papers in the areas of macroeconomics, fiscal policy, global saving patterns and interest rates, inflation targeting, the credit crunch in Japan, energy policy, and economic development, especially issues related to globalization. Wescott holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania, 1983.

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

Robb Zurek

Marketing Associate Director
Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions

Robb Zurek is Senior Marketing Manager for Wolters Kluwer Lien Solutions. Zurek’s primary focus is thought leadership, and content and demand generation. He creates and implements key marketing initiatives to position the company as an industry leader in providing lien management, risk management, and life-of-loan services.

Before joining Lien Solutions, Zurek served in various strategic marketing and communications roles with Dräger Safety, and Eaton Corporation’s industrial electric business.