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

Equipment Management Conference

February 23 - February 25, 2020
Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate, Orlando, FL

Equipment Management Conference

February 23 - February 25, 2020
Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate, Orlando, FL

Equipment Management Conference

February 23 - February 25, 2020

Omni Orlando Resort at Championsgate, Orlando, FL



Serving Equipment Management Professionals for Over a Quarter of a Century

  • GREAT SESSIONS that bring you up-to-date on a variety of asset classes
  • OFF-SITE EQUIPMENT TOURS enabling attendees to get invaluable insight into a variety of equipment and to see them in actual work settings.
  • FIRST CLASS EXHIBITION of equipment appraisers, remarketers, and others you need to meet
  • QUALIFIES FOR ASA Re-CERTIFICATION
  • UNMATCHED NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES with your peers in the industry.

Exhibit Opportunities

An exhibition is held in conjunction with this conference. To receive more information about exhibiting, please contact Steve Wafalosky at 440-247-1060 or stevew@larichadv.com.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsoring events and functions at ELFA meetings provides excellent exposure for your company. Contact Steve Wafalosky at 440-247-1060 or
stevew@larichadv.com if you are interested in sponsoring any of the conference events.

Who Should Attend?

Equipment management professionals, including senior managers and their staff, equipment appraisers and remarketers and service providers to the industry.


Registration Fees

Price Description Amount
1st Person Attending from Company - Member $1195.00
Additional Attendee Exhibitor After Booth Price $1075.00
Additional Attendee from Company - Member $1075.00
Additional Exhibitor After Booth price(Non Member) $1075.00
Commercial Finance Association Member $1195.00
Committee Member $600.00
First Time Attendee - (ELFA Member Company) $1015.00
First Time Attendee - Exhibit Company (Non Member) $1015.00
First Time Attendee - Exhibiting Company(ELFA Mem) $1015.00
Non Member Company Attendee $2390.00
Speaker - Member $600.00
Speaker - Non Member $600.00
Spouse Companion of Member $250.00
Spouse Companion - Non Member $250.00

View cancellation and other policies

Available Functions

Sunday - February 23
8:00 am - 1:30 pm
  2020 Golf Outing
$195.00
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
  Special Dietary Requests
9:45 am - 1:00 pm
  Airboat Ride Through Florida Wetlands
 $75.00
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
  Newcomer Reception
 $0.00
Monday - February 24
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
  Ritchie Bros. Auction Site Equipment Tour
 $0.00
  Microelectronics Fabrication Facility - (30 LIMIT) - THIS FUNCTION IS NOW FULL
 $0.00
Tuesday - February 25
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  Closing Reception & Live Auction
 $0.00

Speakers

Raffi Aharonian



Raffi has been with Rouse Services since 2012 and has responsibility for the Rouse Appraisals division. 
 
After years of operating as a family owned business, in December 2020 Rouse was wholly acquired by Ritchie Bros.  With that transaction, Rouse brings 100 years of service to the construction equipment and transportation industries and is widely recognized as the leader in current market values, estimated residual values, remarketing support, and fleet management analytics.
 
In 2020, Rouse's Appraisal division performed valuations of rental and dealer fleets in North America and the United Kingdom comprising over $45 billion of equipment - all in support of financial underwriting processes.
 
Mr. Aharonian has more than fifteen years of experience in asset valuation, development and management of proprietary databases, and financial statement auditing & analysis. 
 
His experience includes the oversight of over $45 billion of annual equipment appraisals and liquidation analyses across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  He regularly interfaces with key industry stakeholders (lenders, equipment owners, OEMs, private equity firms, audit firms, debt advisory groups, etc.) to provide support for valuations and to share regular, data-based market updates specific to the equipment industry.
 
 
 

Robert Breakstone

President
Equipment Exchange Company Of America


Mr. Robert Breakstone, CSA, CEA our Senior Appraiser, has been President of Equipment Exchange Company of America, Inc. since 1989. Our firm has been in the used equipment business since 1979. Having grown up in the process business, Robert has a wealth of experience in many facets of food production. He has toured many production plants in United States, Provinces of Canada as well as Puerto Rico and Central America. Equipment Exchange Company specializes in buying, selling and evaluating meat process, baking, beverage, frozen foods, vegetable, dry goods and related food products and equipment. We also have extensive database of sales history for our in-house sales comparisons.
 
In 2002, Mr. Breakstone first completed and has been accepted by the Association of Machinery and Equipment Appraisers (AMEA) as a Certified Equipment Appraiser (CEA). In 2005, Mr. Breakstone completed the requirements for Certified Senior Appraiser (CSA) status in Equipment Appraisers Association of North America. These certifications require acceptance to conform in all respects to the designated Codes of Ethics, the appropriate Standards and Procedures of Professional Appraisal Ethics and Practice, certification in Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) as well written exams, submittal of an appraisals for review and acceptance, as well as a minimum of five years of appraisal experience. Both designations dictate on-going requirements to maintain accreditation.

Leonard Brester

Equipment Appraiser
Custom Truck One Source


A niche market specialist in accurately valuing refuse, vocational, and utility trucks, Len Brester has more than 15 years of construction and transportation equipment appraisal and sales experience.  
Len is currently the Senior Appraiser for Housby based out of Des Moines, IA.  Housby is a single source provider including a full-service Mack truck dealership, Volvo construction dealership and an on-line sales company. Len performs appraisals for external customers and valuations, inspections, and sales of used trade-in equipment for the various departments of Housby.
 
He previously was the Senior Appraiser Analyst for Irontrax. During his time at Irontrax, Len performed formal and desktop appraisals.
 
His first job in the profession was at Taylor & Martin auction house, where he developed a reputation as a skilled equipment appraiser and site manager over his eight years there. Starting out as a lot crew member, he worked his way up to become a highly regarded appraiser and auction site manager.  
 
Len's appraisal savvy is rooted in his early years, when he was introduced to traditional agricultural equipment and duties. As a 10-year-old, he began working summers on his uncle's farm in the nation's heartland. As a teen, he became well versed in servicing heavy equipment at a tractor-trailer repair shop on school nights and weekends. Len later operated grain/feed elevators and rail car movers in the Midwest.  
 
He has completed his Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and earned his Accredited Senior Appraiser designation from the American Society of Appraisers International (ASA) in 2013 and re-accredited in 2018. He has served as President, Vice President and Secretary of Iowa/Nebraska chapter of ASA.
 
Len holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Wayne State College in Nebraska and is a graduate of Northeast Community College in Nebraska.
 

Douglas Cain

Managing Partner
Northbay Networks


R. Doug Cain is Managing Partner of Northbay Networks, Inc. an equipment remarketer, ITAD and reseller of IT and Healthcare equipment worldwide.
 
His career began as a remarketer of office equipment for Trinity Capital (Bank of the West) out of their San Francisco office in 1992.  He formed The Copier Network in 1996 reselling copiers nationwide and founded Northbay Networks in 2000.
 
Mr. Cain oversees the Healthcare Division's residual forecasting, end of lease returns, repossessions, and sale of those assets as well as evaluating market trends of domestic and foreign healthcare buyers.

Carl Chrappa A.S.A, M.R.I.C.S., I.F.A

Senior Managing Director
The Alta Group LLC


Carl C. Chrappa is Senior Managing Director - Asset Management Practice Leader of The Alta Group, LLC, headquartered in Clearwater, Florida. He is a registered auctioneer, recognized expert witness, and nationally (A.S.A.) as well as internationally (M.R.I.C.S.) tested and accredited senior equipment appraiser with over 45 years of experience.

Mr. Chrappa is uniquely qualified to author this article, since he actively trades in global equipment markets, and provides appraisals and equipment consulting services to companies throughout the world. He is also a member of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), where he was elected to serve two-terms as Chair of the Association’s Industrial/ Manufacturing Roundtable. Since 2009 Mr. Chrappa has served as a panelist on the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s - ‘Livingston Survey,’ which twice a year forecasts macroeconomic moves in the U.S. economy. He also serves on the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) monthly PMI survey panel.

He is Chair Emeritus and a founding member of The Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's Equipment Management Committee, also serves on the Board of Directors of the Secured Finance Network (fka CFA). He has served on the ELFA’s Service Providers Steering Committee, and is a past national technical director of the American Association of Cost Engineers. Mr. Chrappa received the ELFA’s Distinguished Service Award in 2010. In addition, he co-authored a book entitled A Leasing Company's Guide to Equipment Management and is the author of several columns devoted to equipment management as well as being a regular content provider to the ELFA's web-based ELFAonline.org. He has given numerous presentations at professional and trade association meetings and seminars throughout the United States, Europe and South America, and has been interviewed and quoted by such news media as The Wall Street Journal, the L.A. Business Times, TheStreet.com, CNBC MoneyLine, and NPR radio. Mr. Chrappa is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

The Alta Group, LLC, 2451 McMullen Booth Road, Suite 305 - Clearwater, FL 33759
Phone: (727) 796-7733
Email: cchrappa@thealtagroup.com

David Conover

SVP - Asset Management, Pricing, & Planning
Customers Commercial Finance, LLC


R David Conover, Senior Vice President, Asset Management and Pricing, Customers Commercial Finance.

Customers Commercial Finance (CCF) is bank owned commercial finance company with $500 million in assets originated through direct client relationships, vendor programs, and capital markets activities. CCF has relationships in the manufacturing, transportation, distribution, construction, aviation, and services markets.
In his role at CCF, David Conover is responsible for both the asset management and pricing functions of the organization managing a diversified portfolio of assets predominantly in the industrial, transportation, and marine segments.

David received his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from Rider University and his Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Nicholas Coscia

Equipment Manager, Asset Management Americas CT&I
DLL


Nicholas Coscia is the Equipment Manager for De Lage Landen Financial Services (DLL), working in the Construction, Transportation & Industrial (CT&I) group.

Prior to joining DLL, Nick worked People's Capital & Leasing Corp as the VP, Asset Management. Prior to that, Nick worked for CoBank as an Asset Manager. Prior to CoBank, Nick spent 6 years at Terex Corporation working in Asset Management and Crane Sales. Nick started his career at GE Capital Corporation in 2002.

Rick Daubenspeck

President
Caddie Valuation Group, LLC


EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
Mr. Daubenspeck serves as Managing Director – Tangible Assets for the Valuation & Business Analytics Group within BDO USA, LLC. He has more than twenty-five years of experience in developing valuation opinions of machinery and equipment for a broad range of financial transactions including leasing structuring and dispositions, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies and impairment reviews. His experience and knowledge was obtained and developed through a countless number of domestic and international engagements for a variety of assets groups including manufacturing, telecom, transportation, gaming and entertainment, power generation and distribution, wastewater and freshwater systems, as well as automated ticketing, signaling and toll systems. Renewable Energy, specifically Solar Energy, has been a primary focus for Mr. Daubenspeck over the last several years, and has been involved in the valuation of approximately 450 commercial and utility scale solar installations throughout the United States. Mr. Daubenspeck has performed appraisals throughout North America, as well as Europe and the Far East.

Mr. Daubenspeck has been a speaker on numerous occasions at the Equipment Management Conference sponsored by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, as well as the National Conference of the American Society of Appraisers and the Solar power Finance & Investment Summit. He has also had several articles regarding equipment valuation published, as well as published articles regarding solar energy and the financing of solar collection systems.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
American Society of Appraisers (ASA)
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Kimberly Esposito

Managing Director, Asset Management Services


Ms. Esposito has 28 years of experience in Equipment Management. During her career, she has been responsible for portfolio management at two bank leasing companies, as an appraiser specializing in rail, material handling and middle-ticket assets; including transportation equipment, high-tech, and industrial equipment. She has sold numerous types of equipment internationally, including over 25,000 marine containers for a major container leasing company. She received her Accredited Senior Appraiser (A.S.A.) designation in 1998, and is past president of the A.S.A. Maryland Chapter. Ms. Esposito has actively served on the Equipment Management Committee since 2007 and was elected Committee Chair in 2014. She also has served as a member of the Credit & Collections Committee in 2011-2012. She is a graduate of the University of Connecticut at Storrs.

Ross Ettin

Director
Centurion Service Group, LLC


Chris French

Dealer Credit Manager
Volvo Financial Services


Anthony Gordon ASA

Director of Asset Management and Remarketing
Farm Credit Leasing



Anthony Gordon is the Director of Asset Management & Remarket for CoBank - Farm Credit Leasing. Mr. Gordon is responsible for Asset Management and Remarketing functions at Farm Credit Leasing. He received his accredited Senior Appraiser designation from the American Society of Appraisers in 2011. Mr. Gordon was raised on a family farm and has over 30 years of agricultural equipment finance experience in various roles, including asset management, asset remarketing, credit underwriting, sales, foreclosure and portfolio management. Prior to joining Farm Credit Leasing in December  2017, Mr. Gordon spent a year at Heritage Bank NA, fifteen years at DLL Finance Food & Ag and fourteen years with Agricredit Acceptance Co. He studied finance at Drake University, Des Moines, IA and received a bachelor's degree in business administration from  Graceland University – Lamoni, IA.

Anthony Gordon ASA

Director of Asset Management and Remarketing
Farm Credit Leasing



Anthony Gordon is the Director of Asset Management & Remarket for CoBank - Farm Credit Leasing. Mr. Gordon is responsible for Asset Management and Remarketing functions at Farm Credit Leasing. He received his accredited Senior Appraiser designation from the American Society of Appraisers in 2011. Mr. Gordon was raised on a family farm and has over 30 years of agricultural equipment finance experience in various roles, including asset management, asset remarketing, credit underwriting, sales, foreclosure and portfolio management. Prior to joining Farm Credit Leasing in December  2017, Mr. Gordon spent a year at Heritage Bank NA, fifteen years at DLL Finance Food & Ag and fourteen years with Agricredit Acceptance Co. He studied finance at Drake University, Des Moines, IA and received a bachelor's degree in business administration from  Graceland University – Lamoni, IA.

John Gougeon

President and CEO
UniFi Equipment Finance


John is Senior Vice President, Manager - Corporate Valuations for Banc of America Leasing. John's team is responsible for equipment valuation supporting BAL's Large Corporate Americas originations group. Areas of coverage include Marine, Rail, Transportation, Medical, Material Handling, amongst others. Prior to joining BAL, John spent 8 years as a Major Account Manager for IronPlanet. John has over 30 years Equipment Management experience, including senior management roles at National Bank of Detroit Equipment Finance (NBD), Heller Financial (HF) and GE Capital.
 
John is a graduate of Central Michigan University and enjoys spending his free time with his beautiful wife Beth and their three daughters.

Bengt Hagstrom

VP, Global Asset Management
Healthcare Financial Services, GE Healthcare


Thomas Harford

SVP - Equipment Management Group
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance


Thomas Harford oversees the Equipment Management Valuation team at Wells Fargo Equipment Finance (WFEF). WFEF provides competitive fixed- and floating-rate loans and leases covering a full range of commercial equipment for businesses in the United States and Canada. Based in Chicago, Thomas’ current team of equipment valuation managers and collateral equipment management specialists is responsible for managing WFEF equipment valuations supporting Capital Markets, Commercial/Corporate Banking, Corporate Aircraft, Specialty Industries, Surface Transportation and Canadian portfolios.  
 
Prior to his current role, Thomas led Wells Fargo’s Equipment Management Valuation team with direct management responsibility for equipment valuations within Wells Fargo’s Vendor, Canadian, Construction and Business Banking Group business portfolios.  
 
Before joining Wells Fargo in 2013, Thomas spent 10 years at Banc of America Leasing in management roles within the Equipment Management Group with responsibility for its Vendor lease portfolio as well as their Healthcare portfolio. Prior experience included equipment management roles at the Royal Bank of Scotland, National City Leasing, Sanwa Business Credit Corporation and The LINC Group.
 
Mr. Harford holds a B.S./B.A. in Finance and Economics from University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse. He is a member in the American Society of Appraisers and currently serves on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Equipment Management Committee.   

Gordon Heidacker

Managing Director - Automotive Sector Group Head
Great American Group, LLC


Gordon Heidacker is the Managing Director, Automotive Sector Group Head with Great American Group Advisory & Valuation Services, LLC.
 
With over 35 years of experience in the automotive industry, Gordon manages all aspects of Great American's automotive practice including inventory, machinery and equipment valuations, financial reporting products, and the monetization of assets.
 
Previous Experience
 
Throughout his career, Gordon has achieved an unmatched level of success personally delivering innovative products from concept to launch. After earning his way from the assembly line floor to the board rooms of large OEM's, tier one suppliers, and new technology and parts manufacturers, he has held full P&L responsibility for related budgets on programs in excess of $500 million within global markets. In addition, he has led strategic internal projects which included the negotiation and management of all external key contracts from start to finish as well as negotiating strategic relationships with other OEM's, M&A and post-merger integration.
 
Education
 
Gordon holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Advertising and a Master's degree in Finance and Organizational Behavior from the University of Michigan.
 
Designations and Memberships
 
Gordon is a member of SAE International and the SEMA, and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member on M-1 Concourse and Nelson JIT/Mentoris.

Robert Herb ASA

Head of Global Asset Management, Healthcare, Technology & Office Equipment
DLL


DLL is a global vendor finance company with more than EUR 30 billion in assets. Partnering with equipment manufacturers, dealers and distributors in more than 30 countries to support their distribution channels and help grow their businesses, DLL combines customer focus with deep industry knowledge to deliver sustainable solutions for the complete asset life cycle, including retail finance, commercial finance and used equipment finance. DLL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Rabobank Group.
 
In his role with DLL, Rob Herb manages a EUR 3 billion global portfolio of healthcare and clean technology assets, consulting with manufacturers on life cycle asset management (LCAM) initiatives, driving the adoption of refurbishment and redeployment plans for capital equipment, as well as transforming selling models from traditional ownership to usage and service based.
 
Rob received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Gettysburg College and his Masters of Business Administration from LaSalle University.

Kenneth Heyse A.S.A.

Managing Director
Plastics One Asset Advisors, LLC


Ken Heyse is the Managing Director of Plastics One Asset Advisors, LLC.

Since 1987, Mr. Heyse has been actively involved in all phases of the Plastics Machinery Industry including appraising, processing machinery manufacturing, sales, and distribution.

Plastics One has been one of the country's foremost Asset Advisors for Plastics Processing Machinery for over 30 years, actively working with the Leasing and Finance community providing appraisals, lease residual guidance, work out and liquidation assistance, and published Industry updates.

Among Ken's Career Highlights:
* Served as VP and General Manager for several top Plastics Industry Original Equipment Manufacturers.
* Actively Marketing, re-marketing, and liquidating Plastics Industry Capital Assets since 1989
* Active Guest Speaker and Contributing Member to the Society of Plastics Engineers, American Society of Appraisers, and the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
* Published Author in the American Society of Appraisers MTS Journal and Injection World Magazine on the Plastics Injection Molding Resale Market
* Contributing as technical advisor on hundreds of valuation projects involving the Plastics Industry.

PROFESSIONAL:
* Member Society Plastics Engineers (SPE)
* Member Society Plastics Industry (SPI)
* SPI committee chair- Robotics
* ASA Accredited Senior Appraiser
* Extensive Cross Industry knowledge of all types of Plastics Processing Machinery

Kenneth M. Heyse, A.S.A.
Managing Director
Plastics One Asset Advisors, LLC
151 Ella Grasso Ave
Torrington, CT 06790
PH: 203-265-1193
FAX: 203-284-8243
kmh@plasticsone.com

Paul Hinson

Manager - Asset Management & Remarketing


Head of Asset Management & Remarketing for Altec Capital Services, a captive finance company owned by Altec, Inc.. 23 years with Altec. Auburn University graduate.

Michael Holck ASA


Holck Appraisal Co LLC


Mike Holck is a highly regarded appraiser within the transportation industry. Clients seek Mike's expertise for his consistent accurate valuations and deep knowledge and experience in specialized transportation, including car haulers, concrete pumps, wreckers, trucks and trailers.  Mike holds an ASA designation from the American Society of Appraisers and has completed the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).  
 
As vice president of Irontrax, Mike is responsible for nationwide appraisal services for the transportation and construction industries and remarketing of off lease and repossessed assets.  
 
Prior to Irontrax, Mike worked 14 years at Taylor & Martin, a leader in over-the-road trucking equipment re-marketing, appraisals and consulting, as lead appraiser and assistant manager of appraisal services. In these roles, he performed physical and desktop appraisals for numerous assets specific to the transportation industry, including trucks and trailers and concrete pump trucks. He also provided residual analysis and consultations to lessors and performed lease end inspections.
 
Mike began his career in the transportation industry in 1985, starting at the ground level washing trucks and trailers while in school. He has done it all - from changing tires, rebuilding engine's, driving trucks and finally as an owner operator of his own trucking company, Holck Trucking.
 
For the past several years, Mike has participated in the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA)'s Equipment Manager Conference product showcase. He also is a past speaker at the American Society of Appraiser's Machinery & Equipment ID conference in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds several inspection certifications and has completed numerous American Society of Appraisers courses.  
 
A past volunteer for the YMCA, Mike lives in Fremont, Nebraska with his wife and two children, Volunteer with the John C. Fremont Days - Cruisers on Main St. Car Show.
 
Education:
 
  • Accredited Senior Appraiser, American Society of Appraisers: USPAP, ASA Machinery & Equipment POV courses, ME201, ME202, ME203 and ME204.
  • Putzmeister Inspection, Techniques & Procedures, Boom Inspection Certification, Structural Inspection Certification.
  • ISA (International Society of Appraisers Heavy Equipment Course)
  • Over the past several years, Mike has participated and presented in the annual Equipment Leasing & Finance Association (ELFA)'s Equipment Manager Conference product showcase.  He also is a past speaker at the American Society of Appraiser's Machinery & Equipment ID conference in Cleveland, Ohio.
  • Current Vice President of the Iowa-Nebraska ASA Chapter

Elizabeth Jaramillo

SVP - Asset Management
Key Equipment Finance


Vice President of Asset Management and New Business Support for Key Equipment Finance. In this role, Jaramillo is responsible for transaction workflow, which includes managing a team of new business support analysts that provide asset and transaction support to internal teams.

Prior to her current position, Jaramillo served as lead equipment and portfolio analyst at Key Equipment Finance, a position she held for six years. She began her career as a program administrator at Leasetec Corporation, which was acquired by KeyCorp in 1997, and has held positions of increasing responsibility within the company for more than 20 years.

Jaramillo received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also received a certification in renewable and sustainable energy from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2010.

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.

Horace Jordan

EVP & General Counsel
Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC


Mr. Jordan is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Kingsbridge Holdings, LLC and its operating subsidiaries Trilogy Leasing Co., LLC, Capital Technology & Leasing, L.L.C. and Western States Equipment Holdings, LLC.  He also is one of Kingsbridge's founding members.  Mr. Jordan is responsible for the legal and administrative operations of Kingsbridge and its subsidiaries.
 
Prior to joining Kingsbridge, Mr. Jordan was with Relational, LLC as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary from 2001 through 2005 where he managed the legal and human resources departments and was a member of Relational's Executive Committee.  From 1991 through 2000, Mr. Jordan was with the law firm of Jenner & Block where he was a partner for five years specializing in litigation and business disputes.  From 1998 to 1990, Mr. Jordan was an associate with the law firm of Baker & McKenzie in Chicago and in Hong Kong specializing in corporate law and international transactions.
 
Mr. Jordan has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Chicago Law School teaching courses on Privacy Rights in Employment.  He has published multiple articles on tax and commercial law issues as well as the role of in-house counsel and is a frequent speaker at continuing legal education conferences.  He has been a member of leadership for many years with the American Bar Association and is a board officer for several not-for-profit organizations.
 
Mr. Jordan received his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law and received his Bachelors of Science degree magna cum laude from Tufts University.
 
Mr. Jordan resides in Lake Forest, Illinois with his very understanding wife Diana and his four “nearly perfect” daughters Calla, Gwen, Taryn and Charlotte.  When not otherwise engaged in family activities, Mr. Jordan's interests include travel, athletics, performing arts, politics, reveling in the success of the Beelzebubs acappella singing group and rooting for the Northwestern Wildcats, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Cubs, and Chicago Bears.

Basil Karatzas ASA, MBA

CEO
Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co


Basil M. Karatzas is the Founder and CEO of Karatzas Marine Advisors & Co., a shipping finance advisory and ship-brokerage firm based in New York City.
 
Basil has diverse maritime industry expertise in the fields of shipping finance, port operations, charterers’ and husbandry agency, charter and ship brokerage, and vessel management and operations. In an advisory capacity, Basil has provided vessel valuations and marine appraisals, fairness opinions, strategy analysis and research reports in the tanker, gas, offshore, dry bulk and containership markets for both international registry and the Jones Act markets. In a transactional capacity, Basil has originated and executed multiple finance-oriented transactions in shipping such as sale & leaseback transactions, private placements for equity, mezz, debt and structured finance, and also acted as broker and auctioneer for the sale of marine assets from shipping bank portfolios and other reference name accounts active in the maritime space. Most recently, Basil acted as the Liquidation Trustee for the judicial sale of two pelagic purse-seiner tuna fishing vessels under the authority of the High Court of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
 
Basil has been educated at Rice University and Harvard Business School, and holds several professional accreditations, affiliations and memberships; among them, he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (FICS) in the UK, an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) with the American Society of Appraisers in the US for vessel valuations and marine appraisals, a member of the Baltic Exchange in the UK and BIMCO in Copenhagen. Basil has contributed subject matter chapters in several books in the maritime industry, has been a keynote speaker to maritime conferences worldwide, and frequently quoted in the international press including in The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The Economist, and The New York Times.

Martin Klotzman CLFP

Director of Marketing and Operations
Ivory Consulting Corporation


Martin is Senior Manager Marketing and Product Management at Ivory Consulting Corporation. His focus includes creating and leading all organizational marketing efforts, and developing strategies to maximize Ivory’s internal operational fluidity by leveraging Salesforce's platform. He is Chair of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's "Emerging Talent Advisory Council," where his focus is on educating and attracting new talent to the industry.

Prior to joining Ivory, he co-founded the San Francisco based concert production company, Our House Records, where he served as CFO. Martin received an MBA with an emphasis in Sustainable Business from San Francisco State University and B.S. in Finance from San Francisco State University. He also graduated from Bloc's full-stack web development bootcamp.

Mark Loken

Vice President
CoBank Farm Credit Leasing


Mark Loken is Vice President, Credit for CoBank - Farm Credit Leasing. Mr. Loken is responsible for Credit, Portfolio, and Asset Management functions at Farm Credit Leasing. He has over 20 years of equipment finance experience in various roles, including credit underwriting, sales, asset management and portfolio. Prior to joining Farm Credit Leasing in March 2016, Mr. Loken spent two years at Cisco Capital and fourteen years at TCF Equipment Finance. He received a bachelor's degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Patrick Mazzanti

President
Railroad Appraisal Associates


Pat Mazzanti is president of Railroad Appraisal Associates, the management consulting division of The Occor Company, specializing in the railroad industry, serving operators, suppliers and financial service companies.  Railroad Appraisal Associates is the oldest railroad specific appraisal business in the United States and was founded in 1976. Areas of expertise include railroad and locomotive appraisals, inspections, equipment remanufacture and general management consulting services.  Prior to Railroad Appraisal Associates, Pat spent 18 years with Deutsche Financial Services a unit of Deutsche Bank, with the last 7 as Head of Railroad Finance.  

 

Pat earned a MBA in Business Economics from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Lake Forest, Illinois, as well as a BS in Economics and Finance from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. Pat is currently a member of the Midwest Association of Rail Shippers, Equipment Appraisers Association of North America, and is a Certified Senior Appraiser. Pat resides in Spring Grove, Illinois with his wife and 2 children where he is active in the community as an elected village trustee.

Robert Mercogliano

SVP, Head of Asset Management
PEAC Solutions


Robert Mercogliano
Strategic Account Manager - Financial Services
bidadoo Inc.

Bob is currently the Strategic Account Manager for Financial Services at bidadoo auction services. Bob has 30 years of Asset Management experience with expertise in managing, evaluating, and selling transportation, construction, industrial, manufacturing, technology, and healthcare assets.

Bob has held several positions during his career in Leasing and Finance as Head of Asset Management, Pricing, and Portfolio Management. Prior to joining bidadoo in 2020, Bob worked as the Managing Director, Head of Asset Management for SunTrust. He was also the Global Head of Asset Management for the Project Structured Finance Group of Siemens Financial Services for 18 years. He currently sits on and is a former chairman of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Asset Management Committee.

Education - Bob received a B.S. in International Business Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

bidadoo is the largest and most trusted online auction service on the world’s largest auction marketplace, eBay. With eBay’s 150+ million active buyers around the globe, bidadoo provides equipment sellers access to the world’s largest online auction marketplace, with its long-term partnership with eBay. bidadoo provides professional remarketing for used construction equipment, rental and municipal fleets, trucks, and other capital assets to many of the world’s largest equipment and fleet companies.

James Merz

SVP - Head of Equipment Management
Fifth Third Bank, National Association


Thomas Monroe Jr

SVP, ATEL Equipment Services
ATEL Capital Group


Thomas P. Monroe, Jr. joined ATEL as a portfolio manager in the asset management department. In 2004, Mr. Monroe was named Senior Vice President of ATEL Equipment Services. In this function, Mr. Monroe manages ATEL's asset management department, which is responsible for residual valuation, due diligence, equipment inspections and negotiating renewal and remarketing for ATEL's portfolio. Prior to joining ATEL, Mr. Monroe was employed by GE Capital for 6 years as a portfolio manager in the computer leasing division. Mr. Monroe holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.

Frederick Moss

VP, Marketing
Advance Print Technologies


Christopher Nugent

Managing Director
Bluechip Asset Management LLC


Mr. Nugent is Managing Director of Bluechip Asset Management, an appraisal and asset management services company. Mr. Nugent has over 25 years of experience in valuation, leasing, and financial services, focusing on equipment appraisal, residual management, asset remarketing, and portfolio management, including positions with Key Equipment Finance, Babcock & Brown, Comdisco, US Leasing, and other companies. Mr. Nugent has equipment management expertise in IT, healthcare, technology, semiconductor, energy, business equipment, construction equipment, and a variety of other industries, and has managed staff and transactions in the US, Europe, and Asia.
 
Mr. Nugent is an Accredited Senior Appraiser of the American Society of Appraisers. He holds a BA in Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from Santa Clara University.

Ralph Petta



Ralph Petta is the President and CEO of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), the premier trade association representing 550+ member organizations in the $1 trillion equipment finance sector. Mr. Petta leads the organization in executing its mission to foster business development, deliver industry information and analysis, provide educational opportunities and advocate for the industry. He is also President of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation, which is dedicated to inspiring thoughtful innovation and contributing to the betterment of the equipment leasing and finance industry.

Mr. Petta, an authority in the business of equipment finance, has been with the association since 1987. Before assuming the role of President and CEO in January 2016, he served as Chief Operating Officer for six years, providing coordination, direction and oversight of ELFA programs and services designed to add value to the association's member organizations. Prior to that, he served as Interim President. From 1987 to 2010 he was Vice President-Research & Industry Services, managing ELFA's information, benchmarking and market research initiatives. Throughout his career at ELFA, Mr. Petta has assumed leadership roles in virtually all functional areas within the organization, including governance, membership marketing, communications, business and professional development, state advocacy and the association's affiliated Foundation.

He is often quoted in industry trade publications and is a frequent speaker about the role of equipment finance in the U.S. economy and trends and developments in the equipment finance sector.

Mr. Petta is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), as well as ASAE's Key Industry Association Committee (KIAC). He completed the ASAE/University of Maryland College of Business and Management executive development certificate program in association management. He also was selected for and participated in the ASAE Future Leaders Conference. Mr. Petta is a member of the Exchequer Club of Washington, DC.

Before joining ELFA, Mr. Petta worked for nine years in the office of United States Senator Sam Nunn, serving in a variety of professional capacities. He was Senator Nunn's legislative assistant when he left to join the association. Mr. Petta graduated from Syracuse University, earning a B.A. degree in political science.

Rick Pierman

Senior Managing Director - Business Development - Equipment Finance
Pathward Commercial Finance


Rick Pierman is the President of Crestmark Equipment Finance, a division of MetaBank and has over 20 years of leasing and finance industry experience. Before rejoining Crestmark Equipment Finance, a division of MetaBank, he served as senior vice president, managing director of asset management for Woodforest National Bank’s equipment finance division. There, he was involved with the development of a start-up equipment finance platform, which grew to $170 million portfolio before being acquired by Sterling National Bank in March 2019. Responsibilities included developing policies and procedures for collateral valuations, the tax lease program, division pricing and structure, residual setting, portfolio management, and developing equipment markets.

Pierman originally joined Crestmark in 2014 with the company’s acquisition of TIP Capital, where he served as vice president, asset management; his 15-year tenure with the company included roles as director of asset management, remarketing manager, and accounting and project manager. He also held a senior lease accountant position at CIT, formerly Newcourt and AT&T Capital. Pierman earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Michigan State University. He is a former chairperson of the Equipment Lease and Finance Association’s Equipment Management Committee.

Joseph Pothier

Business Development Manager
Sipi Asset Recovery


Jane Rethmeier

CEO
Harbor Capital Leasing, Inc.


Ms. Rethmeier has been with Harbor Capital since the company's inception in 2000, as Mishawaka Leasing, and has over 30 years of leasing experience with a focus on asset management, remarketing, tax and lease accounting.  Prior to joining Harbor Mishawaka, Jane was with Capital Associates International, Inc. where she was responsible for establishing residual values and end of lease activities.

Steven Robbins

Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Asset Management
Flagstar Financial & Leasing, LLC


Steven M. Robbins is presently the Senior Vice President and Director of Asset Management for Signature Financial LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Signature Bank. Signature Financial was formed in March, 2012, to provide equipment leasing and financing solutions to customers in the United States.  In this role, Mr. Robbins is responsible for all Asset and Portfolio Management activities.

Prior to joining Signature, Mr. Robbins was the Vice President, Asset Management for Capital One Equipment Leasing and Finance, where he was responsible for its Asset Management activities. Mr. Robbins has also held Senior Asset Management positions at Marshall & Stevens, Inc., Republic Financial Corporation, Mizuho Corporate Bank - (USA), GE Capital - Vendor Financial Services, AT&T Capital, The CIT Group and MetLife Capital Credit Corporation, where he began his career in the leasing industry.  

Mr. Robbins has been employed in the equipment finance/leasing industry for over thirty three years with thirty of those years directly involved with the Asset Management discipline, is the past Chairman of the ELFA Equipment Management Conference and Committee and is a member of the American Society of Appraisers. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Cobleskill and was the 2011 Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - Long Island Chapter "Man of the Year".

Michael Russell

President & CEO
Russell Equipment Company


Michael Russell is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Russell Equipment, Inc., a global portfolio advisory and remarketing firm specializing in material handling equipment. He is responsible for strategic growth and acquisition, culture, and oversees a diverse leadership team who are tasked with the daily operations of the company.

Mike has been with Russell Equipment since 2005. Since becoming President in 2011, the company has undertaken both domestic and international expansion, grown its bricks and mortar locations nationwide, and made growth coupled with social and environmental responsibility a priority. Russell’s primary focus is to build a strong culture from within, to ensure consistent, honest, and productive results for its suppliers and customers day in and day out.

Russell Equipment is a member of the ELFA, and is proud to support Flashes of Hope, the Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and numerous other causes both in the Cleveland Area and around the country. Mike is a board member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), and active in supporting historic preservation initiatives for colonial architecture of the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Joseph Santora ASA

President
Irontrax


Joseph Santora has spent the last 21 years building Irontrax into a reputable partner for financial institutions, equipment managers and construction professionals who seek accurate valuation and sales of machinery and equipment.  His deep relationships in the market, coupled with his true third-party viewpoint, have yielded consistent spot-on valuations for clients.


 
Irontrax specializes in asset management; consulting, appraisal, and the remarketing of bank-owned construction, transportation, and mining equipment.  Irontrax also consults for lease-end negotiations, workouts, and litigations. Irontrax has entered into Master Services Agreements with many of the major financial institutions.


 
Joe walked in the shoes of his clients, prior to establishing Irontrax.  He was an Asset Manager at First Merit Bank (Akron, Ohio) where he established bank policy for the Equipment & Leasing & Finance Division and instituted the use of an approved appraiser list.  In addition, he has held roles with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world’s largest auctioneer of unused and used heavy equipment and trucks, and Insight Auctioneers (Sebring, Florida).


 
Well-known throughout the industry, Joe has been published in several financial and construction trade publications and has served on numerous committees for the Ohio Contractors Association. He currently is a member of the American Society of Appraiser’s International MTS (Machinery & Technical Specialties Discipline) Committee, which establishes appraisal policies, standards and education on an international level.  Joe is also the Founder/Chairman of American Society of Appraisers Annual Equipment Valuation Conference.


 
Joe often presents at the American Society of Appraiser

Kevin Sensenbrenner ASA

SVP/Senior Managing Director, Head of Asset Management
Stonebriar Commercial Finance


Kevin Sensenbrenner is SVP and Senior Managing Director of Asset Management, with direct management responsibility for all asset valuation, lease portfolio management, and remarketing activities.

Kevin began his career in 1998 as a commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (M&E) and real estate appraiser with AccuVal Associates. He was responsible for Co-Managing AccuVal's M&E appraisal practice. At AccuVal, Kevin gained extensive experience appraising domestic and international large industrial/manufacturing facilities, such as: steel and paper mills, metal fabrication and automotive assembly plants, chemical/petroleum processing plants, carpet manufacturers, food processing facilities, printing operations, and energy related assets.

Sensenbrenner began his Asset Management career at AIG Commercial Equipment Finance (AIG CAF) in 2006 as Vice President and Senior Asset Manager. His responsibilities increased successively and ultimately included all asset management functions for AIG Investments and AIG CAF portfolios. At AIG, Kevin valued and managed a diverse portfolio, with assets in manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, mining, construction, marine, rail, and technology industries, as well as real estate assets.

Prior to joining SCF in 2015, Mr. Sensenbrenner led an equipment management valuation team overseeing Wells Fargo Equipment Finances $29.5 billion portfolio, with responsibility for commercial bank, corporate bank, capital markets, marine, energy, and rail business verticals.

Kevin is a Senior ASA appraiser and has served as an ELFA Equipment Management Committee member since 2007.

Christopher Shaheen

Director, Asset Management
Pathward Commercial Finance


Chris Shaheen is the Vice President of Asset Management at Crestmark Equipment Finance. He is a 14-year industry veteran with a successful track record in all areas of asset management, and most notably, in the areas of residual setting and remarketing. Prior to joining Crestmark in 2014, Chris worked for TIP Capital, which was a privately held leasing company with a focus on technology. Chris graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in Accounting and is a registered CPA in his home state of Michigan.

 


William Tefft

SVP Asset Management
Banc of California Corporate Asset Finance


Will Tefft is Senior Vice President, Equipment Management for CapitalSource's Corporate Asset Finance group.

Frederick Wetzel



Wade Whitenburg

Strategic Accounts: Finance & Insolvency Management
Ritchie Bros.


Wade W. Whitenburg is a Strategic Accounts Manager with Ritchie Bros. specializing in asset management, valuation and remarketing for finance, banking and insolvency management companies.  Since joining the company in January of 2001, he has been responsible for building and maintaining customer relationships with financial organizations of all sizes throughout the U.S.  
 
Wade provides market analysis and CMV guidance for the general equipment industry as well as for specific equipment fleet and asset portfolio managers based on real time data and market awareness.  He also plays an essential role in the development and delivery of the Equipment Valuation Workshops which Ritchie Bros. hosts for equipment finance professionals across in the U.S. and Canada.
 
Before his tenure with Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Wade held several positions for various companies within the general equipment industry.  His wide-ranging background includes sales, marketing, financing and corporate training.  He and his family reside in Cypress, Texas.
 
Wade holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology with a second major in Business Administration from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.

Joseph Zulueta

President & CEO
Aeronautical Systems


Joe is a highly sought-after speaker, lecturer, consultant, and author of aviation technical and appraisal reports, at all levels of technical valuation inspections in the current, retrospective, and residual (future) value appraising of aircraft assets.

Aeronautical Systems, headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida, has been serving the aviation industry worldwide since 1986, providing aviation expertise in valuations and surveys performed on corporate jet and turboprop aircraft.

He is an accredited senior aircraft appraiser designated by the American Society of Appraisers and has been an independent aircraft appraiser and surveyor since the early 1990s. A licensed U.S. pilot having completed numerous graduate courses within the aviation and appraisal disciplines.

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