Women's Leadership Forum : ELFA v4

Women's Leadership Forum

April 20 - April 21, 2020

The Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, IL

Women's Leadership Forum has been cancelled. All registrations will be automatically refunded to the credit card used to register. If you paid by check the refund will be issued by check to the address on your invoice. Please allow 21 business days for all refunds to be processed.

ELFA Coronavirus Update

Due to growing health concerns related to the COVID-19 coronavirus, ELFA has postponed or cancelled a number of upcoming events. These changes are in keeping with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which as of March 16 is urging a nationwide halt to gatherings of more than 50 people for the next eight weeks. We are monitoring health professional advice and updates from the CDC and WHO regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus and following the guidelines from these agencies and local health departments, and will make any necessary modifications to our event schedule as needed to ensure the health and safety of our members, staff, vendors and others. For questions regarding ELFA events, please email meetings@elfaonline.org.

See details here

Leadership Development for Women at All Stages of an Equipment Finance Career.

Program Highlights
The ELFA Women’s Leadership Forum will feature dynamic speakers and offer time for attendee interaction and networking with other industry leaders. You’ll leave this event with valuable insights and powerful tools to enhance your career.

Grow your leadership skills
Improve your professional performance
Build relationships and make new connections

Who Should Attend?
This event is open to anyone who would like to attend. There are no registration restrictions for the Women’s Leadership Forum this year. ELFA is offering member and nonmember pricing in order to accommodate all who are interested in this fantastic event!

Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorships provide invaluable exposure for your company. Contact Steve Wafalosky at 440-247-1060 or stevew@larichadv.com if you are interested in supporting the ELFA Women’s Leadership Forum.

Registration Fees

Price Description	Amount
ELFA Members	$775.00
Non Member Attendee	$1500.00
Speaker/Panelist - ELFA Member	$495.00
Speaker/Panelist - ELFA Non Member	$495.00
Women's Council Members	$495.00

View cancellation and other policies

Download Conference Agenda

Available Functions

Monday - April 20
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
	Dine Around - Community Table Dinner Group
Tuesday - April 21
6:15 am - 7:15 am
	Yoga Class	$25.00

Speakers

Kelly Accetta

Consultant
Truth-Coach

Kelly Accetta is an internationally recognized author, motivational speaker and life coach. Her trainings come from experiential learning and years of personal growth and development. Throughout her career she has recruited and trained sales teams strong enough to be a consistent top producer. She also co-created one of the most effective training programs in the industry of Direct Marketing that has developed top producers and trainers that now span 6 continents and over $1 billion dollars in revenue for those companies. Her ability to engage and inspire sales teams around the world has led to sustained< growth and market retention that is unparalleled. Her study of human behavior over the last 25 years has produced an ability to train in sales, management and leadership like no other, and do it in a fun upbeat way while still getting results.

Martha Ahlers

President
United Leasing & Finance

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

Deborah Baker

VP, Global Payment Solutions
HP Inc.

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

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

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

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

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

Maureen Carr

Managing Director - Corporate Asset Finance Leader
EverBank Corporate Asset Finance

Maureen Carr is Managing Director of Pacific Western Bank’s Corporate Asset Finance business. She is responsible for all aspects of the Corporate Asset Finance Group including strategic direction, business development, credit, asset management and operations. Maureen was a senior member of the nine-person group that joined CapitalSource in 2010 from Tygris Asset Finance where she was Senior Vice President and served as Director of Capital Markets. Prior to her tenure with Tygris, Maureen held various positions at RBS Asset Finance including Director of Capital Markets and Credit Manager. Earlier in her career, Maureen worked at Heller Financial in the Commercial Equipment Finance Division as a Senior Credit Analyst. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Marquette 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.

Lori Frasier MBA

Workforce Strategist, Executive Advisor
Orion First Financial, LLC

Lori Frasier is the Chief Human Resources Officer of CPI Card Group. She has over two decades of experience in the financial services industry. Before joining CPI Card Group in 2019, she worked at Key Equipment Finance. She joined Key in 2003 in global human resources management. She served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Administration before being promoted to Senior Vice President of Strategic Services in 2009, and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Performance Management in 2013. Prior to joining Key, she held positions at First Data/Western Union.

Andrea Hart

Global HR Director
Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation

Andrea Hart serves as the Global Human Resources Director for Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation (CFSC). Andrea has responsibility for leading CFSC’s human resources team globally with a specific focus on building upon the strong culture and preparing it for the future. Additionally, she emphasizes talent development for the organization, and champions diversity and inclusion.

Andrea has deep human resources expertise and has held numerous HR leadership positions within Caterpillar along with operations positions.

Andrea received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Eastern Illinois University and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Millikin University. She also attended Caterpillar’s Leadership Excellence in Accountability and Development (L.E.A.D.) program, known as – Powering Up.

Andrea is also a Board Member for the Middle Tennessee Boys and Girls Club.

Xiang Ji CFA

Senior Business Strategy Consultant
Toyota Industries Commercial Finance, Inc.

Xiang Ji is Senior Business Strategy Consultant at Toyota Industries Commercial Finance. Prior to her current strategy role, she led the risk management department, which develops strategies and tools to govern risk-taking activities in order to help Toyota to achieve long-term business objectives. Prior to Toyota, Xiang held various management consulting positions with PwC and Accenture. She holds double Bachelors’ degrees of International Relations and Computer Science from Renmin University of China, and a Master degree of Economics from Boston University. Xiang is an active member of ELFA and is currently serving as a member of Captive and Vendor Business Steering Committee.

Grace Killelea

Half the Sky Leadership Institute, Inc.

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

Julie Pray

SVP Operations
Midland Equipment Finance

Julie Pray is Vice President of Operations at Midland Equipment Finance, a division of Midland States Bank. Over the last 16 years, she has spent time in numerous roles in the industry including documentation, sales support and management at four organizations. In 2018, Julie helped form Midland Equipment Finance. Her primary responsibilities include setting policies and procedures, developing strategy, monitoring the customer experience and driving the vision of the bank. Julie holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Missouri State University.

Deborah Reuben CLFP, DES

CEO & Founder
TomorrowZone

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

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

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

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

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

Alan Sikora CLFP

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

Alan Sikora is the chief executive officer of First American Equipment Finance, the U.S. equipment finance arm of City National Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada.?He is also a member of City National Bank’s Senior Management Team.

Alan joined First American in 2002 and has held various roles in credit, operations and sales leadership. He has been the CEO of First American since 2015. In his role, he is responsible for the strategic direction of First American, one of the 20 largest bank-owned equipment finance businesses in the U.S. First American is an innovation leader with?approximately?300 colleagues who deliver custom financing solutions to businesses nationwide.

Under Alan’s leadership, First American has been ranked by Fortune?as a Best Workplace for Millennials, a Best Workplace in Finance and Insurance, and a Best Workplace for Women. PEOPLE magazine also recognized First American as one of the 100 Companies That Care in the U.S.

Alan is active in the community. He is on the board of directors of the Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf and is an advisory board member at Rochester Institute of Technology’s Saunders School of Business. He?volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester, the Penfield Ecumenical Food Shelf and Habitat for Humanity. He previously served on the board of directors of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.?

Alan earned his master’s degree in business administration with concentrations in finance and entrepreneurship from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. He also holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Rochester and holds the Certified Lease & Finance Professional designation.

Kelly Skalicky

President & CEO
Stearns Bank N.A.

Kelly Skalicky is the President and CEO of Stearns Bank, N.A. She is the daughter of Stearns Bank founder and current Chairman, Norm Skalicky, and she’s spent her career practicing law and working in the banking industry. Her introduction to banking goes back to her early childhood when she tagged along with her father to his office every Saturday morning, returning home with his junk mail to “play banker”.

Kelly earned her juris doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law through its night school program, which allowed Kelly to begin learning the law as a law clerk at the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office. While still in law school, Kelly had the unique honor to be selected to serve as law clerk to The Honorable Michael J. Davis, prior to Judge Davis being appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, and later serving as Chief Judge of the District Court from 2008 to 2015.

After earning her law degree and practicing in the areas of business litigation, commercial law, Indian law, and commercial transactions, Kelly began rising through the ranks at Stearns Bank by serving as legal counsel and being designated General Counsel in 2011. Kelly was promoted to President in 2017 and became CEO in 2019. Kelly is focused on driving continued growth through innovative niche financing, technology-banking, and an unwavering commitment to finding a way to “Get the Job Done!”

Kelly serves on the Stearns Bank Board of Directors. She also serves on the board of directors for The Clara Foundation and is a member of the board of trustees for Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.

Michelle Speranza CLFP

EVP, Chief Marketing Officer
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.

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

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.

Jill York

President, Head of Equipment Finance & Leasing Solutions
Fifth Third Bank, National Association

Jill York is President, Head of Equipment Finance and Leasing at Fifth Third Bank. York joined Fifth Third Bank in 2019 through its acquisition of MB Financial Bank, N.A. (“MB Financial Bank”). There she was Executive Vice President, Specialty Banking and Mergers and Acquisitions. She was responsible for a portfolio of business including Wealth Management, Card Services, Leasing and Indirect Lending, a position she held since April 30, 2016. York was also a director of MB Financial Bank.

From November 2001 to April 2016, York served as Chief Financial Officer of MB Financial, Inc. Prior to the MB Financial, Inc. and MidCity Financial Corporation merger in 2001, York served as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and a director of Manufacturers Bank, which she joined in 2000.

York previously served as a partner with the public accounting firm of McGladrey and Pullen LLP. She was in public accounting for 15 years and is a member of the Illinois CPA Society.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting Cum Laude from Illinois Wesleyan University. She also received an MBA from the University of Chicago with a concentration in Finance. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for Illinois Wesleyan University and Chairs its Audit Committee.

Nahid Zamir CPA

Head of Operations & Transformation
Meridian OneCap Credit Corp.

Equipment Leasing and Finance Association - Investing Forward

Women's Leadership Forum

Women's Leadership Forum

Women's Leadership Forum

April 20 - April 21, 2020

ELFA Coronavirus Update

Registration Fees

Available Functions

Speakers

Kelly Accetta

Martha Ahlers

Deborah Baker

Maureen Carr

Jennifer Fanz

Lori Frasier MBA

Andrea Hart

Xiang Ji CFA

Grace Killelea

Julie Pray

Deborah Reuben CLFP, DES

Alan Sikora CLFP

Kelly Skalicky

Michelle Speranza CLFP

Scott Thacker CPA, CLFP

Jill York

Nahid Zamir CPA

Sponsors

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Knowledge Hub

Women's Leadership Forum

Women's Leadership Forum

Women's Leadership Forum

April 20 - April 21, 2020

ELFA Coronavirus Update

Registration Fees

Available Functions

Speakers

Kelly Accetta

Martha Ahlers

Deborah Baker

Maureen Carr

Jennifer Fanz

Lori Frasier MBA

Andrea Hart

Xiang Ji CFA

Grace Killelea

Julie Pray

Deborah Reuben CLFP, DES

Alan Sikora CLFP

Kelly Skalicky

Michelle Speranza CLFP

Scott Thacker CPA, CLFP

Jill York

Nahid Zamir CPA

Sponsors

Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation

ECS Financial Services, Inc.

Eldridge Capital Management

Great American Insurance Group, Specialty Equipment

Hanmi Bank

Ivory Consulting Corporation

LTi Technology Solutions

Moritt Hock & Hamroff LLP

Odessa

Solifi