Online registration for Emergence2023 is now closed. To register, please contact Janet Fianko at jfianko@elfaonline.org.
GREAT LEADERS ATTRACT, HIRE AND INSPIRE GREAT PEOPLE.
What is Emergence?
Now in its 5th year and brought to you by the Emerging Talent Advisory Council (ETAC), Emergence2023 is a two-day leadership program for emerging talent from ELFA member companies.
Why should I send my emerging leaders to Emergence2023?
When employees are engaged and developing, they stick around. It's that simple. And because your employees are your greatest assets, providing them with the leadership skills they need will help your company continue to thrive. Investing in your rising leaders shows them that you value their contribution and future within your organization.
Emergence sessions, discussions, activities and take-aways empower attendees with the leadership skills necessary to excel in equipment finance. Because great leaders attract, hire and inspire great people!
Who Should Attend?
Attendees should be those who have the ability and desire to lead, grow and make a positive impact on others. These are individuals considered to be high-potential future leaders in their respective organizations and the industry.
Registration Fee
The registration fee is $540 for ELFA members. Attendees of Emergence2023 are welcome to attend the Emerging Talent Networking Event the evening of July 13th. Registration closes on July 1st.
Here's what past attendees had to say!
“Simply, I want to say, thank you! This really helped me. Being surrounded by passionate people in my industry, sparked a fire within me. And for that, I will always be grateful.”
“I am so glad I had the opportunity to participate, and I know I will utilize the materials from this event in my work and personal life.”
“I feel really fortunate to be part of such a great group and I look forward to participating in more Emerging Talent and ELFA events.”
Questions?
Contact Alexa Carnibella at acarnibella@elfaonline.org
Download the Conference Schedule Here!
Available Functions
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Breakout 1 - Focus on Your Future
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Breakout 2 - Building Your Brand
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Dine Around - Community Table Dinner Group
April 13th - 7pm - 9pm: Join a community table dinner group. We’ll connect you with a group and an opportunity to meet new people and build relationships. This is a pay your own dinner event with Emergence attendees.
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Speakers
Robert Boyer CLFP
President
First Commonwealth Equipment Finance
Robert Boyer is currently President of First Commonwealth Equipment Finance, a division of First Commonwealth Bank. Most recently, he was Senior Director and Senior Vice President at TCF Capital Solutions, a division of TCF Bank. Prior to that, he was the President of BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Branch Banking and Trust Company (BB&T), now Truist.
He is the 2024 ELFA Board Chair.
Rob has held a variety of positions throughout his career, including Sales Executive, Syndications Manager, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Syndications and Executive Vice President. He has served as Treasurer of the ELFA Board and is a member of its Executive Committee. Previously, he chaired ELFA’s Membership Committee and Small Ticket Business Council Steering Committee. He also has served as a Director for the Certified Leasing and Finance Professional Foundation (CLFP).
Rob has been working in the equipment finance industry since 1995. He holds a bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University and attended the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking.
Alexa Carnibella
Director, Professional Development
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
Alexa Carnibella is the Director of Professional Development at ELFA, joining the staff in 2006. Alexa is responsible for ELFA's online learning, instructor-led workshops, best practices roundtables and the Conference Resource Center (where event handouts and recordings are housed).
Craig Colling CLFP
Senior Vice President– Vendor Channel Leader
Ascentium Capital, A Division of Regions Bank
Craig Colling, CLFP, Senior Vice President Sales at Ascentium Capital has 20 years of expertise in the equipment financing industry and is responsible for the leadership of a vendor sales team. Prior to joining Ascentium Capital, Craig was the Vice President of Sales at Paramount Financial Services.
Craig earned his degree in Marketing (BSBA) from the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ. He resides in Phoenix, AZ with his wife Asia, son Jack and daughter Dylan.
James Cress
Vice President & General Manager
Stryker Flex Financial
James is the Vice President and General Manager of Stryker’s captive finance arm, Flex Financial. He joined the company in 2008 and is responsible for delivering financial solutions that make it easier for Stryker’s customers to reach their clinical and financial goals. Previously, James was Senior Vice President and Vendor Business Unit Director for eight years at National City Commercial Capital and he spent several years as a Vice President in Small Business Banking at US Bank.
James has been an active member of ELFA since 2000 and has served as a Director on its board. He is currently serving as Vice Chair and is the current board liaison to the Emerging Talent Advisory Committee. He has previously served as LeasePAC Chair, regularly attends Capitol Connections, and has been a member of the Captive and Vendor Finance Business Council Steering Committee, Women’s Council, and provided ELFA Guest Lectures at Michigan State University.
James holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in executive leadership and organizational change from Northern Kentucky University.
Jennifer Fanz
Vice President of Sales, US Healthcare
PEAC Solutions
Jennifer Fanz, equipment leasing and finance industry veteran, is a results-focused Senior Commercial Leader with 20+ years of sales experience, effective relationship management and demonstrated success in the financial services industry. She is well versed in sales, strategic planning, business development, team leadership and leadership development. She has effectively leveraged people, processes, relationships and culture to build high-performing teams, exceed targets and encourage individual and team growth through diversity of thought to drive bottom-line results.
Jennifer has also devoted time as a certified facilitator focused on sales effectiveness and leadership development. She is passionate about her role as an equipment leasing industry mentor and coach. She has held roles focused on organizational health and employee development, and she is both an advocate and ally for diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science degree with a focus in Management from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey-Camden. She is an active member of ELFA, with prior service on the ELFA Emerging Talent Advisory Council. She currently serves as Past Chair of the ELFA Women?s Council and has previously served as sub-committee Chair for the ELFA Women?s Leadership Forum from 2019 through 2022. Jennifer has also helped launch various corporate ERGs supporting both female and ethnically diverse employee groups.
At home, she spends time as a wife, mom, dog-mom, sister, daughter, somewhat decent cook and lover of plants and her garden. She sometimes appreciates her Peloton, but also has a fondness for bread and wine. She continues to strive for work-life integration, although she is admittedly a work in progress.
Amy Gestal
Director, Vendor Finance
Huntington Technology Finance
Amy lives in Boulder, Colorado with her wife and three young children. She is a die-hard Cleveland sports fan! Amy graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in Political Science. Â She enjoys her daily bicycle commute to work and spending time with her very energetic family.
ProfessionalHuntington Technology Finance 2018-Present
Amy manages the technology vendor business,  overseeing the sales team, developing new programs and structuring deals.  Amy built Huntington’s vendor program and continues to support its growth.
Key Equipment Finance 2006-2017
Amy had a variety of roles in business development, sales, credit and operations in the direct and vendor finance groups.  Amy also spent time in leveraged finance within the bank’s investment banking division.
Community InvolvementELFA Bank Business Council Steering Committee Member
Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence Board Member
University of Colorado School of Business Mentor
Kenyon College Career Development Mentor
Vanessa Hollingshead-Cook
North America Program Manager, Customer Loyalty
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
Svetlana Kralik CLFP
Credit Administration Officer, VP
U.S. Bank
Lana joined the Equipment Finance industry right after her graduation from Portland State University. During her time with U.S. Bank Equipment Finance, her skills have been put to the test. In her first role, Lana was instrumental in developing and implementing operational procedures geared towards improving and streamlining documentation processes to eliminate bottlenecks, increase speed to market and improve process flow within the department. She also handled multimillion-dollar contract documentation, negotiations, funding, and auditing for compliance with internal policies and external regulations. In her current role, Lana manages a team of underwriters, reviews and approves large ticket credit requests from borrowers within the healthcare and manufacturing industry.
Outside of work, Lana enjoys spending time with her active 12-year old son exploring Pacific Northwest. She is also an active traveler and gardener. Lana was born in Russia and her husband in the Czech Republic, so they split their vacation time between the two counties.
Chris McDonell
CEO
McDonell Consulting Group
Chris McDonell is the Owner, President, and CEO of McDonell Consulting Group, a licensed Sandler Training center located in Baltimore.
Since 2008, McDonell Consulting Group has been helping companies with hiring, business development, sales training, sales management training, customer service training, leadership development, professional assessments, and executive coaching.
Chris has worked with a wide variety of industries, from solopreneurs to international corporations, to bring skills, structure, and strategies to improve employee performance, increase revenue and develop future leaders. He has more than 30 years of experience in sales, sales management, corporate training, and executive leadership and consistently works on his own professional development.
Eric McGriff
Chief Risk Officer
36th Street Capital
Eric has been in the Equipment Finance industry for 37 years and has served as a senior leader whose responsibilities have included credit, portfolio management, collections, asset management, operations, customer service, legal operations and statistical modeling. Eric is Chief Risk Officer at 36th Street Capital.
Alice Moore
Senior Economist
Keybridge Research, LLC
Alice Moore is a Senior Economist at Keybridge. She specializes in policy analysis, electronic payments, financial regulation, and survey design and implementation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics from Washington and Lee University, and she completed graduate coursework in Financial Economics at the NYU Stern School of Business.
Jake Nguyen CLFP
VP, Credit Manager
Wintrust Specialty Finance
As a vice president, credit manager and founding member of Wintrust Specialty Finance, Jake Nguyen has been critical in building the credit infrastructure that supports a rapidly growing portfolio.
Nguyen is responsible for hiring, developing and managing a team of credit professionals that specialize in providing exceptional customer service and innovative financing solutions for Wintrust Specialty Finance’s partners. He has also been an instrumental member of the leadership team in providing the foundation for business processes and enhancements. Being one of the four founding members of the company, making the blueprint for credit infrastructure and the team has been one of the top accomplishments and learning opportunities of Nguyen’s career. He has also earned his Certified Lease & Finance Professional designation and is a current member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.
Pierre Quinn
Motivational Speaker
Pierre Quinn is on a mission to help people from all walks of life harness the courage to live, learn, and lead with confidence. Pierre is the author of
Leading While Green: How Emerging Leaders Can Ripen Into Effective Leaders and
Leading While Scared: How To Find The Courage To Keep Going.
Today as founder of The Cardell Group he travels the country speaking to leaders at conferences, conventions, retreats, and training sessions.
While Pierre does love motivating, challenging, and inspiring leaders, he loves his wife and two daughters even more. He and his family live in the Washington Metropolitan Area.
Jordan Reeve
Implementation Manager
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
Jordan Reeve has been in the Equipment Finance Industry for 10 years. Currently, she is on a Special Assignment as the Dodd-Frank Implementation Manager at Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation. Over her 10 year career at Caterpillar Financial, Jordan has served in various roles in Treasury, Credit, Insurance, and Sales. She is currently a member of the ELFA Emerging Talent Advisory Council (ETAC).
Jordan earned her undergraduate degree in Human and Organization Development at Vanderbilt University. She then went on to receive her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) at Belmont University. Jordan currently lives in Nashville, TN.
Matthew Vazzana CLFP
National Account Executive
Huntington Technology Finance
Matt is currently a National Account Executive at Huntington Technology Finance. Â He joined the Equipment Finance industry more than 10 years ago and has enjoyed serving customers in various roles including sales, operations, and program management. Â In his current role, he is responsible for developing and managing financing programs for OEMs, distributors, and national VARs within the technology space.
Matt consistently ranks in the top tier of sales performers at Huntington. Â He is a two-time Gold Sales Achievement winner and earned Top Vendor Sales Rep in 2021. Â He is also a member of the ELFA's Emerging Talent Advisory Council (ETAC).
Hotel Information
Emergence2023 will be held at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, 401 W. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21201. Rooms at the hotel are available to conference attendees at a discounted rate of $199 +tax for the conference dates only - the night of July 12 and July 13. The discounted room rate is available until EITHER the room block sells out OR the discounted rate expires on June 21, 2023. Check in time is 3:00 pm and check-out time is 11:00 am.
Make hotel reservations through the online link below or by calling reservations at 1 (800) 774-1500.
REMEMBER The discounted room rate is available for the conference dates only. If you are looking to extend your stay, the room rate will no longer be under the conference block and may be a higher rate. In addition, the discounted room rate is available until EITHER the room block sells out OR the discounted rate expires on June 21, 2023. Reservations made after this date are based on hotel availability and may be at a higher rate.
Fun fact
The hotel overlooks Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the Orioles will be playing on Friday, July 14th. The hotel is also within walking distance to the Inner Harbor Museums, Baltimore Aquarium, TopGolf Baltimore and many restaurants.
Getting There
The Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor is located 9 miles/15 minutes from Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI). If traveling by train, the hotel is located 2.6 miles from Baltimore Penn Station.
Parking
Parking is available at $36 per day for self-parking. Non-Hotel guests are not guaranteed parking.
Hilton Baltimore
401 W. Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
Get directions
