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

Lease and Finance Accountants Conference

September 16 - September 18, 2019
Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL

Lease and Finance Accountants Conference

September 16 - September 18, 2019
Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL

Lease and Finance Accountants Conference

September 16 - September 18, 2019

Hilton Chicago, Chicago, IL



The Premier Event for Leasing and Finance Accounting Professionals

  • CFO Roundtable
  • Introduction to the Leasing and Finance Industry
  • Taxation of Leases and Service Contracts
  • Keynote: Economist, Rob Wescott
  • State of the Association and State of the Industry
  • Rev and Rec Issues
  • Lease or Not a Lease
  • Interpretive View Lessor- Hot Topics Part One
  • Interpretive View Lessee- Hot Topics Part One
  • CECL Overview
  • Evolving for the Customers and Data Needs
  • Interpretive View Lessee- Hot Topics Part Two
  • Lease & Loan Pricing Basics
  • Operationalizing Between IFRS or US GAAP
  • Lease Implementation Pressure Points: Unexpected Questions You've
  • Encountered and Operational Landmines
  • Lease and Loan Sales
  • Leases in Business Combinations
  • Sale Leaseback
  • The View from Across the Pond: An Update from the IASB
  • CECL: Using Data Analytics to Support Better Decisions
  • Leases and Real Estate
  • Lease & Loan Pricing Advanced
  • Ask the Auditor and Accountant
  • Unmatched networking activities!

Who Should Attend

Accountants, CFOs, controllers, tax managers, treasurers, finance directors and others responsible for financial reporting activities, plus any business professionals or advisors who must be familiar with the impact of accounting on their transactions or activities.

Become An Exhibitor Or Sponsor!

The ELFA Lease and Finance Accountants Conference will be held concurrently with the ELFA Operations and Technology Conference. Both conferences will share a table top exhibit targeting companies that provide lease and finance accounting software, and other technology-related processes and systems. This is a great opportunity to get in front of an expected combined attendance of about 300 people!

Sponsorships at ELFA events offer several important benefits that allow your company to achieve its marketing and sales objectives. As a sponsor, your company is showcased to decision-makers in all facets of the equipment leasing and finance industry. If you would like to be a part of the exhibition or a sponsor of the combined conferences, please contact Steve Wafalosky at stevew@larichadv.com or 440-247-1060.


Registration Fees

Price Description Amount
1st Attendee from Member Company $1225.00
Additional Attendee - Member $1180.00
Additional Exhibitor - Member $1180.00
Additional Exhibitor - Nonmember $1180.00
Attendee - Non Member (All) $2450.00
Committee - Member $610.00
First Time Attending This Conference(Members Only) $1050.00
Speaker - Member (Attending Entire Conference) $610.00
Speaker - Non Member (Attending Entire Conference) $610.00
Spouse/Companion of Non Member $250.00

View cancellation and other policies

Conference Schedule & Networking Events

 

Session descriptions and speakers are located in the conference schedule - Download Conference Schedule Here

 

Special Networking Events

Newcomers Reception
Monday, September 16th 5:00 pm - 5:45 pm
Is this your first time at our conference? Wonderful! Meet other first-time attendees and Committee members from the Operations and Technology Committee and the Lease and Finance Accountants Committee at this fantastic reception. No additional fee to attend.  

Hosted Receptions
Monday, September 16th and Tuesday, September 17th
A wonderful opportunity to network with individuals from across the industry. Receptions for the conference are jointly attended by Operations and Technology Conference attendees and the Lease and Finance Accountants Conference attendees.  

5K Fun Run
Tuesday, September 17th 6:00 am
(pre-registration requested) Start your day with a little exercise and see some sights in Chicago! Join your colleagues for a 5K Fun Run before your full conference day begins.
No additional fee to participate.  

Women's Council Event
Wednesday, September 18th
(pre-registration requested)
A fantastic opportunity to meet with other women in the Finance, Leasing, Technology and Operations industry. This is a great networking event to learn about the new initiatives ELFA is taking for Women in Leasing. All are welcome to attend.
No additional fee to participate.

Available Functions

Monday - September 16
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
  CFO Roundtable
Discussion Leader: SHAWN HALLADAY Managing Principal The Alta Group
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
  Introduction to Leasing and Finance Industry Workshop
Introduction to the industry and products offered, why customers lease and an overview of the lease accounting rules changes and the impact to the industry. Geared to newcomers to the industry.
  Taxation of Leases and Service Contracts Workshop
A workshop of the tax rules which determine whether a transaction is considered a loan, a lease or a service agreement; how those determinations affect the tax benefits available to the lessor/project owner and the effect of recent extensions of certain tax benefits, including bonus depreciation and alternative energy tax credits.
5:00 pm - 5:45 pm
  New Attendees Reception
Tuesday - September 17
6:30 am - 8:00 am
  5K Fun Run
Lead Committee Member: AMIE SWEENEY Start the day with a little exercise and join your colleagues for a 5K fun run.
Wednesday - September 18
7:00 am - 8:00 am
  Women’s Council Breakfast

Speakers

Dave Augustyn

Partner - Accounting Advisory Services
KPMG LLP



John Bober

Managing Member
IXL Lease Advisory Services, LLC


John chairs the accounting and reporting committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and was the 2014 recipient of the ELFA’s Distinguished Service Award. As the managing member at IXL Lease Advisory Services, LLC, John specializes in lease accounting and financial reporting. He is also a senior consultant to Ernst & Young LLP.

John retired in 2018 after a 23-year career with GE Capital, where he primarily focused on vendor finance arrangements and the leasing of equipment as well as managing all aspects of General Electric Company’s Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) lease accounting project. He has been active in the accounting standards setting process, having served on both the Emerging Issues Task Force and the Accounting Standards Executive Committee working groups. John was a member of the joint FASB and IASB international working group on lease accounting. Active in Financial Executives International, he is the past chair of their leases working group.

John joined GE Capital in 1995 and held various positions in finance, risk and general management within GE Capital and GE Energy Financial Services. He managed the group within GE Energy Financial Services responsible for the analysis of economic returns from equity and debt investments, project financings, partnerships and large ticket leases, including lease pricing. Prior to joining GE in 1995, John was a partner with an international accounting firm, based in both Jakarta, Indonesia and New York. He frequently speaks at industry conferences on matters related to current developments in finance and accounting.

John has a BA in History from Tulane University. He is also an MPA from the University of Texas at Austin and is a past member of the Department of Accounting Advisory Council and of the McCombs School of Business BBA-MPA Alumni Advisory Board.


Chris Bolash

Partner
Ernst & Young LLP



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.


Daryl Buck

National Managing Partner


Daryl Buck is the National Managing Partner of Accounting Advisory Services for Grant Thornton LLP. In this role, Daryl oversees service offerings that seek to help clients optimize their financial reporting processes and ensure their accounting practices align with business goals and evolving standards. Daryl has more than 30 years of experience in diverse financial and accounting leadership roles. Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Daryl was a member of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Daryl has also served as the chief financial officer of a privately owned retail grocery company and as an audit manager for a large public accounting firm. Daryl’s industry experience includes retail, energy, financial services, marine transportation, and wholesale distribution. At the FASB, Daryl worked to establish and improve generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for all sectors, and to coordinate them with international financial reporting standards (IFRS). Daryl has spoken at numerous accounting and financial reporting conferences, seminars, and other gatherings, both domestically and internationally. Daryl earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Kerrie Cadugan

Managing Director
Ernst & Young LLP


Kerrie is a Managing Director in EY's Financial Accounting & Advisory Services (FAAS) practice and has over 17 years of experience in providing assurance and advisory services to large financial services clients, focusing mainly on banking and capital markets and asset managers. Kerrie manages a team that is dedicated to assisting audit and advisory clients with technical accounting issues and is a subject matter resource for leasing, consolidation, and transfers of financial assets, including securitization.

Kerrie is a subject matter resource with respect to both the current and new leasing standards under US GAAP and IFRS. She assists our clients with application of the lease accounting guidance both from a lessor and lessee perspective, focusing on issues involving real estate including build to suit and sale leaseback transactions. She is a frequent speaker at the ELFA Lease and Finance Accountant's Conference.

Over the past 12 years Kerrie has been involved with assisting clients with the
implementation of accounting standards and the assessment of accounting change. Kerrie has managed large accounting and remediation projects surrounding consolidation, leasing, interest income recognition, and fair value measurement and disclosures which involved extensive technical accounting and process reviews. Kerrie has also been involved in numerous IFRS diagnostic assessments and conversions for banking and asset management clients. She has also managed large accounting training programs for clients.

Prior to FAAS, she worked on the external audits of large banking and capital markets clients.

Kerrie is a NY CPA with a BS in Accounting from Boston College.


Jenaro Cervantes

Vice President, Risk
HSBC Securities



Eileen Chan

Executive Director
Ernst & Young LLP


Eileen Chan is an Executive Director within Ernst & Young LLP's Financial Accounting and Advisory Services (FAAS) Group based in New York with over 15 years of experience.
 
Eileen is a subject matter resource for lease accounting and provides on-call, technical accounting assistance for critical business decisions. Eileen also helps to lead the accounting change efforts around the FASB and IASB's project for leases, which includes developing a comprehensive solution to help companies understand and plan for the FASB and IASB's new lease standards.
 
Eileen is a licensed CPA in the State of New York. Eileen received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Public Accounting from Pace University. Eileen is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  

Chris Chiriatti

Managing Director
Deloitte



Andrew Cotter

EVP, Chief Information Officer
Somerset Capital Group, Ltd.


Andrew Cotter serves as Chief Information Officer for Somerset Capital Group, Ltd. and has been with the organization since 2002. Mr. Cotter is an experienced business leader and technology strategist providing vision and transformational leadership for more than 20 years. Mr. Cotter uses his extensive experience in people leadership, business operations, and technology innovation to partner with the organization. Through this partnership he develops effective plans and strategies to achieve meaningful results as well as enables continuous innovation needed to improve the customer experience required to succeed in the digital age.

Mr. Cotter serves on the board of Fairfield/Westchester Society for Information Management, is active on the ELFA Technology Innovation Working Group, and is the Immediate Past Chair of the ELFA Operations and Technology Committee.


Kyle Elken

Controller
DLL


Kyle Elken

Controller, U.S.

DLL Financial Solutions Partner

Kyle is the U.S Controller for DLL. In this role, he oversees a team of thirty professionals handling the company’s Accounting, Data, Governance, Accounts Payable, Regulatory and Financial Reporting in accordance with IFRS and U.S. GAAP. Prior to joining DCC in 2014, Kyle was Vice President of Technical Accounting for a publicity traded commercial mortgage lender for 5 years and also worked for GE Capital businesses for 8 years. Kyle is a certified public accountant (inactive), and he serves as a member of ELFA’s Lease Accounting Committee.


Jeffrey Ellis

Senior Managing Director
FTI Consulting



Latina Fauconier



Latina is a Managing Director in PwC’s Deals practice in Detroit with 15 years of public accounting experience.  Latina advises clients on accounting for complex change transactions such as FASB and IASB Accounting Standards changes, GAAP conversions and other matters of accounting complexity and is considered one of the Firm’s core subject matter specialists in leasing. Latina currently leads lease champion network efforts and is significantly involved in developing the Firm’s go to market strategy, toolkit and various thought leadership related to the New Leasing Standard.

Joseph Guage

Chief Financial Officer
First American Equipment Finance, an RBC / City National Company



Shawn Halladay CLFP

Chief Financial & Operating Officer
Pitney Bowes Global Financial Services


Shawn Halladay brings 35 years of experience as a lessor, trainer, consultant and auditor to Alta’s clients. Shawn’s professional expertise stretches across all leasing sectors and around the globe. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, he has served lessors throughout North America, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe, providing training in all aspects of equipment leasing. His consulting expertise includes vendor finance, accounting and reporting best practices, competitive analysis, strategic planning, litigation support, and accounting and quantitative analysis.

Shawn is Managing Director, Professional Development and has authored or co-authored eight books on equipment leasing, including A Guide to Equipment Leasing, An Introduction to Leasing and The Handbook of Equipment Leasing. Shawn’s strengths in accounting, tax law and analysis help Alta clients quantify the success of their business and evaluate emerging opportunities. His custom training courses, offered in several languages and tailored to meet the needs of varying geographic and industry markets and cultures, help lessors maximize the value of their human resources and deliver outstanding lease products and customer service.

Shawn is a member of the Financial Accounting Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) as well as the editorial board of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation’s Journal of Equipment Leasing and Finance. He also currently serves on the Advisory Board of Leasing News and teaches for the CLFP Academy.


Marsha Hunt

Board Member
Financial Accounting Standards Board



Rodney Hurd

Chief Financial Officer
Bridgeway Capital Advisors


Mr. Hurd is the Chief Financial Officer of Bridgeway Capital Advisors, Inc. ("BCA"), a privately held firm offering capital raising and asset management services to vendors, lessors and lessees, principally involving water treatment, oil re-refining and materials processing equipment subject to service contracts. Mr. Hurd has responsibility for pricing; financial analysis, operations, tax and financial reporting. He serves as the firm's representative to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's Accounting Committee. He frequently authors articles on leasing issues.

Before joining BCA, Mr. Hurd held various senior finance positions, including 17 years with Bank of America Leasing and Capital Group ("BALCG"). Before joining BALCG, he served as the controller for a venture capital firm and several leasing companies, principally privately held firms engaged in structured lease financings, asset management, and joint ventures.

Mr. Hurd has served as a consultant for Financial Services Volunteer Corps in connection with leasing projects in Russia, Morocco, and Egypt.

Mr. Hurd obtained his C.P.A. certificate while employed as an auditor and small business consultant at Deloitte, San Francisco, California.

He holds an M.B.A. in Accounting from Golden Gate University, where he is also a Distinguished Adjunct Professor and teaches research & communications courses. He holds a B.A. in History from Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California.

Matthew Ivory CLFP

Associate, Partner Relations Manager
Ivory Consulting Corporation


7+ years working at Ivory Consulting.

I have created a large video series on how to maximize your SuperTRUMP user experience.

I have worked on training and have helped to train Ivory Consulting customers on how to use SuperTRUMP and how to maximize their SuperTRUMP experience.

I work with SuperTRUMP partners to make sure that our relations are running smoothly.

I look forward to working with you.

Marc Jerusalem

Managing Director, Accounting & Consulting Services
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP


Marc Jerusalem

Director, Accounting Services Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Marc is a director in PwC’s National Accounting Services Group. In this role, Marc consults with colleagues and clients on how to account for a broad range of complex transactions. Many of the issues he deals with are about leasing transactions, which are surprisingly multi-faceted. As a global specialist on this topic, Marc liaises with accounting experts throughout the profession, and helps PwC develop its thought leadership on leasing transactions.

Marc is a frequent presenter on a variety of accounting topics and serves on the Financial Accounting Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, an equipment lessor trade association.

Prior to serving in PwC’s national office, Marc was an auditor in the firm’s Assurance practice in Detroit. Marc's clients ranged from pre-revenue start-ups to multi-national public companies, principally in high technology, manufacturing, and automotive industries. Marc graduated Wayne State University in Detroit, is a Chartered Global Management Accountant, and a CPA licensed in Michigan and New Jersey.


Gary Kabureck

Retired Board Member, IASB Former Corporate VP and Chief Accounting Officer
Xerox Corporation


Mr. Kabureck became a board member of the IASB in April 2013 after a long career at Xerox Corporation where he was a Corporate Vice President and served as Chief Accounting Officer from 2001.  Mr. Kabureck held various senior finance and accounting positions at Xerox, beginning in 1985. He began his professional career at PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1975.
 
Mr. Kabureck is recognized as a leader in the accounting profession worldwide and he has been an active member of FEI since 1997.  From 2006 through 2013, he participated in FEI’s Committee on Corporate Reporting and for many years led the liaison between the FASB and the FEI regarding technical matters.  Mr. Kabureck has served on a range of other advisory boards, including those of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) and on the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council to the FASB.
 
He graduated from the University of Bridgeport, where he earned Bachelors of Science and Masters of Business Administration degrees.  He is a Certified Public Accountant, a charter CGMA holder and in 2008 was inducted into the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Hall of Fame.  In 2012 Treasury & Risk Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in finance.
 

Lisa Kaestle

Audit - Exp Manager
Grant Thornton LLP


Lisa is an experienced manager in the National Accounting Advisory Services practice with over 9 years of experience in the accounting industry. She currently oversees all of Grant Thornton's leasing implementation engagements as the main technical consultant in the Leasing Center of Excellence.
 
Lisa joins Grant Thornton from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) where she served as the project manager of the Lease Implementation Project. She was responsible for soliciting, analyzing, and discussing issues that arise as part of implementing the ASC 842 guidance on Leases. She has performed extensive consultation with individuals at the SEC and public accounting firms, as well as with companies across various industries on complex implementation issues, such as land easements, and has assessed the significance and pervasiveness of issues and helped determine which to debate with the Board in a public forum. Prior to the FASB, she worked in Ernst & Young’s Assurance practice. Her experience includes financial reporting under both international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), as well as Broker Dealer Reporting.

Tim Kolber

Managing Director | Accounting Advisory & Transformation Services
Deloitte


Tim is a Managing Director in Deloitte’s Accounting Advisory & Transformation Services practice where he leads the Accounting Standard Implementation service offering and the Lease Accounting Standard sub-offering on a National level. In this role, Tim leads or serves as a technical resource on various accounting standard implementation projects where he assists clients with the application of complex accounting guidance and the implementation of new accounting standards. Recent experiences include assisting various entities with the implementation of the FASB’s and IASB’s new lease accounting standards.

Tim has close to 20 years of experience in the accounting profession (more than 14 of those years at Deloitte) and is one of the firm’s leading lease accounting experts from both the US GAAP (ASC 842/ASC 840) and IFRS (IFRS 16/IAS 17) perspectives. In this role, he engages in discussions with professionals at the other Large Firms on interpreting the new guidance and interacts with various industry groups and Fortune 100 companies on how to apply the guidance. Tim is also one of the primary authors of Deloitte’s Leases Roadmap.


Mark Koppersmith

Vice President, Product Strategy
LeaseAccelerator



Robert Kruger

SVP Tax Director, Asset Finance
Huntington Equipment Finance



Jeffrey Lezinski

SVP Solution Architecture
Odessa


Jeff is Odessa’s SVP, Solution Architecture, instrumental in architecting Odessa’s functional solutions since he joined the company in 2004. Jeff currently serves on the ELFA Accounting Committee and participates as a liaison to various industry and regulatory bodies. Prior to Odessa, Jeff worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP where he participated in and managed various engagements from a consulting and an audit perspective for a variety of industries, including financial services, pharmaceutical, and telecommunications. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Haverford College.


Dorina Maerean

Senior Accounting Manager, Global Finance
IBM Financing



Scott Muir

Partner - Department of Professional Practice
KPMG LLP


A partner in KPMG’s Department of Professional Practice (DPP), Scott spent two and a half years at the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) as a practice fellow where he led the development and drafting of the new leases standard, as well as a leading member of the project teams for the FASB/IASB Joint Transition Resource Group for Revenue Recognition and the associated amendments to the new revenue recognition standard on (a) identifying performance obligations and licensing; (b) gross versus net revenue reporting; and (c) clarifying the guidance on collectibility.

Scott is the co-leader of KPMG’s leasing and digital assets topic teams, as well as a leading member of the DPP topic teams for revenue recognition and long-lived assets. Scott is a frequent presenter at conferences, client events, and internally for KPMG on various accounting topics, in particular Topics 842 and 606, and a principal author of KPMG’s handbooks and other external guidance on ASC 842 lease accounting, ASC 606 revenue recognition, and software/website cost accounting.

Prior to joining KPMG's national office in 2012, Scott led the technical accounting and SEC reporting functions at a large public software company and worked within KPMG’s Technical Accounting Advisory Services and Audit groups.


Carrie Na Ph.D., CFA

Pricing Manager


Carrie Na is the Pricing Manager at SunTrust Equipment Finance & Leasing Corp. She focuses on setting structuring policies, providing pricing guidance on complex deals, and conducting research for both originations and capital markets.

Prior to joining SunTrust, Carrie held various positions in quantitative research, big data analysis and risk management. She has worked at Bank of America and Fannie Mae. Besides Equipment Finance, Carrie has extensive experiences with Mortgage, Home Equity, Credit Cards, and portfolio optimization in finance and banking industry.

Carrie holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Virginia. She is also a CFA charterholder.

Amy Park

Partner
Deloitte



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.

Joseph Sebik

Director of Tax
Siemens Financial Services, Inc.


Joe Sebik is a Director of Tax Reporting in Siemens Corporation, covering Siemens Financial Services, Siemens’ US captive financing subsidiary. Joe supports the tax aspects of Siemens Financial Services’ leasing and structured financing transactions, including alternative energy financings.

Joe has over 30-years of experience in the leasing industry including experience in accounting, financial reporting, transaction structuring and taxation. He has been a member of the ELFA’s Accounting Committee for over 20-years where he has actively assisted the Accounting Committee in many ways, including regularly presenting at the ELFA Accounting Conferences and writing numerous articles for the Equipment Leasing Today magazine. Joe is also the Chairman of the Federal Tax Committee of the ELFA and has introduced two recurring tax-oriented training sessions into the Accounting Conference.

Joe has written six reference portfolios on lease accounting and lessor economics for Bloomberg/BNA, as well as co-authoring 2 portfolios on accounting for Variable Interest Entities and assisting on other accounting-related portfolios. Joe has regularly written about the leasing industry and has previously provided comment letters to the FASB on lease-related topics.

Prior to joining Siemens Corporation, Joe worked for Citicorp Global Equipment Finance, JPMorgan’s Tax Oriented Investments group, Chase Equipment Leasing, IBM Credit Corporation and Price Waterhouse.

Joe holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting from Queens College of the City University of NY and is also a Certified Public Accountant licensed in New York State.


Charlie Shannon

Partner
Moss Adams LLP


Charlie has a combined 20 years of private and public accounting experience. Charlie specializes in providing auditing, compliance, and consulting services to both private and publicly held financial institutions, leasing companies, asset-based lenders, debt buyers, payment processors, and other financial services companies. Charlie is a frequent author and speaker for various state and national trade associations, including the Western Independent Banker's magazine. Charlie is also a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association's Financial Accounting Committee.

Mamta Shori

CFO
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance


Finance executive with extensive financial services experience with the ability to inspire necessary cultural change to deliver finance process improvement, simplification, and cost saving strategies.

Proven track record in delivering high value analysis, reporting and forecasts by establishing highly effective commercial and operational partnerships.

Significant experience in shaping organizations to transform back-office functions using lean principles, innovative problem solving, improving control structure and supporting strategic business initiatives.


Scott Silver

Sr. Product Manager – Real Estate
LeaseAccelerator



Jeremy Simons

Partner
Ernst & Young LLP


Jeremy is a Partner in the Ernst & Young LLP National Professional Practice Group in New York, where he specializes in the accounting for income taxes, leases, and long-lived assets. In this role, Jeremy is responsible for consulting with global engagement teams and clients, monitoring standard-setting activities, and developing EY’s interpretive guidance.

Previously, Jeremy spent two years as a Professional Accounting Fellow in the SEC’s Office of the Chief Accountant. In this role, Jeremy consulted with current and prospective SEC registrants and divisions within the Commission on accounting issues with a particular focus on the topics of consolidations, business combinations, long-lived assets, and debt and equity.

Prior to the SEC fellowship, Jeremy spent time in Ernst & Young LLP’s National Professional Practice Group and audited public and private companies in the manufacturing and retail and distribution industries.

Jeremy earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from Indiana University and majored in Accounting and Finance. Jeremy is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is a Certified Public Accountant in New York and Indiana.


Amit Singh


KPMG LLP


Amit is a Director in KPMG’s Accounting Advisory Services (AAS) practice. Amit has several years of experience providing assurance and advisory services to a global client base of institutions with experience in sectors such as, Financial Services, Oil and Gas, Energy, Real Estate, and Diversified Industrials. 

His technical skills and experience includes technical accounting advisory, accounting change services and IPO engagements. 

Amit is a member of KPMG's DPP topic teams for leases, consolidation, and share based payments; and is a core member of the advisory teams following and advising clients on the new leases standard and helping clients implement it.

Alexander Smith

Director, Risk Analytics
KPMG LLP



Jud Snyder

President
BMO Harris Bank


Jud Snyder is the President of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company and BMO's Senior Executive for Southeast Wisconsin.
 
Jud joined the Bank in 1994 and is responsible for leading the growth and development of BMO Harris Equipment Finance Company. This includes strategic and managerial responsibility for sales, operations, underwriting and equipment management capabilities within the Equipment Finance Company.
 
Prior to taking on his current role, he had roles in credit, sales and sales management in Equipment Finance prior to taking on the President's role in 2008. In 2010, he moved into the bank as M&I's Head of Specialized Industries. In this role he was responsible for Equipment Finance, Global Trade, Health Care, Dealer Finance, Agribusiness and Sponsor Finance. Following the BMO acquisition in 2011, he moved back into the head role at Equipment Finance with the mandate to leverage the business across BMO and grow the business to scale.
 
Jud obtained his BA in Russian and Economics from UW Madison ('94). He is currently the Chairman and an Officer of ELFA (Equipment Leasing and Finance Association). He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Milwaukee Ballet (Immediate Past Chair & President and Executive Committee Member), The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (Trustee), United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, Teach for America and Froedtert Health Systems.
 
Jud lives in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin with his five children.

Chad Soares

Partner
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP



Jennifer Stembridge

SVP, Accounting Policy
Truist Equipment Finance Corp.


Jennifer is a Group Vice President in the Controllers Division of SunTrust Banks, Inc. where she works as the Director of Accounting Consultation and Credit Controller. Jennifer's responsibilities include monitoring proposed and final technical accounting pronouncements to determine their impact to SunTrust, assistance with implementation of new accounting standards, special projects, accounting policy, and accounting consultation to the SunTrust lines of business and functional areas. As Credit Controller, she works closely with the Credit Risk Management department on the accounting and reporting of the Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses. Jennifer is a Certified Public Accountant and received her Bachelor in Business Administration in accounting from the University of Georgia.


Amie Sweeney

Vice President
CBRE


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
 

Amie D. Sweeney is a Vice President for the Corporate Capital Markets group within CBRE. Ms. Sweeney is responsible for the preparation and analysis of a wide variety of financial models associated with the sale and financing of proposed and existing single-tenant assets. Ms. Sweeney provides analytical support for various alternatives and financial structures governed by accounting, tax, regulatory, and other considerations important to the needs of corporate, institutional, and developer clients. Her work also includes assisting with the research and preparation of proposals and offering memoranda for use in the capital markets

In addition to her duties as Vice President for the Corporate Capital Markets, Ms. Sweeney is the technical expert on the upcoming changes to lease accounting for CCM as well as one of the experts within CBRE. Ms. Sweeney sits on the Financial Accounting Committee for the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association the country's premier leasing organization, and the Finance and Investment Committees for CREW Network at the national level. She is a frequent speaker on lease accounting, has written many articles and white papers, and has been widely quoted on the topic.

Ms. Sweeney has over 25 years of accounting experience and has worked in public accounting, as a corporate controller, and a financial manager. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Ohio State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

EDUCATION
Ohio State BS in Accounting

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Financial Accounting Committee
CREW Finance and Investment Committees American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
CBRE Women's Network CBRE Lease Accounting Task Force

Vincent Tesoriero

VP-Controller


Vincent Tesoriero – ELFA speaker Bio

Vincent Tesoriero is Vice President and Corporate Controller for Marlin Capital Solutions, where he leads the accounting operations. His responsibilities include Securities and Exchange Commission Reporting, Bank Regulatory Reporting, Operational and Technical accounting, Tax (Direct and Indirect), and Internal Controls over Financial Reporting. Prior to his current role, Mr. Tesoriero served as Vice President of Finance at AIG Federal Savings Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of American International Group, Inc (“AIG”). Prior to his tenure at AIG, Vincent was an Audit Manager in the Assurance and Advisory Practice at Deloitte, where he served clients in the Banking and Financial Services industry.

Vincent graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. He is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in both New York and Pennsylvania. Vincent has served as a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Finance and Accounting Committee since 2017. He is also an active member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants.


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.

Reza Von Roosmalen

Principal – Accounting Advisory Services
KPMG LLP



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.


Jay Wilensky

Senior Vice President, Accounting & Finance
Sasser Family Companies


Jay Wilensky is Senior Vice President of Accounting & Finance for Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co, a subsidiary of Sasser Family Holdings. He is his first year as chairman of the financial accounting committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, an advocacy organization for the $1 trillion leasing industry.

He is also the founder of the Railcar Leasing Coalition, a consortium of companies in the railcar leasing industry he led to collaborate with the accounting firms and the FASB and IASB Boards on interpretation and development of best practices on leasing related accounting standards. Additionally, he has been chairman of the tax committee of the Railway Supply Institute for two separate terms. Accordingly, he has presented at many different industry conferences. He currently serves on the Transportation Executive Board and the Accounting Advisory Board of the Kelly School of Business at Indiana University.

He began his career in public accounting with KPMG, where he was a senior supervisor on audit engagements in a wide variety of industries. He is in his 37th year with the Sasser Companies and Chicago Freight Car Leasing Co, taking on increasing roles and responsibilities during his tenure leading up to his current position. He is a CPA, CGMA, and has been active in many professional organizations including the Illinois CPA Society, AICPA, and Institute of Managerial Accountants. He graduated from Indiana University - Bloomington, the Kelley School of Business earning a BS with a concentration in accounting.


Brian Wilson

Director- Leasing
Bank of America Global Leasing


Brian Wilson (Director- Banc of America Leasing). Mr. Wilson is a Director with Banc of America Leasing providing accounting and finance support to leasing and capital markets operations worldwide. In this position he consults with clients around the globe on various lease products and transaction structures and their accounting implications.

Prior to joining Bank of America he was CFO for Montrose & Company LLC a lease portfolio management and consulting firm based in Reno, Nevada. Brian also spent several years as tax and accounting manager for Porsche Cars North America and with Deloitte & Touche as a senior manager in their Seattle and Los Angeles offices serving numerous domestic and international clients. He has bachelors and masters degrees in accounting from Brigham Young University, and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Nevada. Brian is a CPA and is on the Board of the Nevada Society of CPAs.


Amy Winkler

Advisory Manager
Deloitte



Sponsors

Hotel Information:  
 
The 2019 Lease and Finance Accountants Conference will be held at the Hilton Chicago, 720 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60605.
 
The ELFA block of rooms for this conference is SOLD OUT and no longer available. However, you are welcome to inquire the Hilton Chicago regarding room reservations outside of the ELFA block. Please call Reservations at 1 (800) 774-1500.
         
Getting There:  
The Hilton Chicago about 19 miles from the Chicago-O'Hare International Airport (CHI). Approximate cost of a taxi from the Chicago-O'Hare International Airport to the Hilton Chicago is about $55. The Hilton Chicago is also about 11 miles from the Chicago Midway Airport. Approximate cost of a taxi from the Chicago Midway Airport to the Hilton Chicago is about $35.
 
For further information about this property, including driving directions, visit their website at

Hilton Chicago
720 South Michigan Avenue
Chicag, IL 60605

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