Kristie Kosobuski serves as Solifi’s senior director of product management and product marketing, where she is responsible for driving the strategic vision and roadmap of Solifi’s portfolio management solutions. A seasoned equipment finance expert with 25 years of experience, Kosobuski is committed to enhancing the customer experience and the success of the equipment finance and leasing industry with innovative technology.
Kosobuski proved herself as an expert in the equipment finance industry early on in her career. She previously consulted on business process, solution implementation and support software across a diverse lessor community. Her mission is to drive ongoing dialogue around the way in which financial accounting, business process and technology evolution shapes the future of asset finance.
Her passion for understanding both the market and business needs of customers, alongside cultivating strong connections with industry people, drives Solifi’s product vision. Through these connections and active listening when discussing the critical business issues that customers are facing, Kosobuski and her team create actionable solutions to optimize workflows, mitigate risk and enable customer growth goals. She also believes in the importance of being a mentor to others to prepare the next group of leaders so they can continue to prosper.
Collaboration is key in Kosobuski’s management style, rather than a top-down perspective. She guided the product team to adopt an agile development methodology, a management approach that encourages improvement through working together harmoniously as a team. This approach allows the team to cultivate a positive culture, while becoming more flexible and more responsive to change. It’s also a customer-first approach, meaning they have more input on the product so it best suits their needs.
“Kristie has always been committed to the innovation of the equipment finance industry, working tirelessly to support her teams in providing pioneering software for equipment finance lenders,” Bill Noel, chief product officer at Solifi, says. “Recently, she was instrumental in a project that enabled a large manufacturer to go live on Solifi Open Finance Platform, using her impressive leadership skills to guide a large team across numerous functions. Kristie’s expertise and strong guidance is invaluable to Solifi, both to our teams and to our customers, and there is no better person to receive this accolade.”
As an industry advocate, Kosobuski is vital in driving an ongoing dialogue of how financial accounting, business process and technology evolution are shaping the future of equipment finance. Throughout her career, Kosobuski has actively worked to ensure the equipment finance industry is an innovative space by being a member of multiple organizations. She has served on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s Women’s Council, a community of leaders committed to driving change in the industry and providing more access to women at all stages of their careers. Additionally, Kosobuski was a member of the Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation’s Industry Future Council, an organization dedicated to inspiring thoughtful innovation and the betterment of the industry.
More recently, Kosobuski began to participate in the ELFA climate financing working group, which teaches best practices to equipment finance organizations. She also pursued the Certified Lease and Finance Professional designation, demonstrating her capabilities for expertise, dedication and leadership within the industry.
“My advice to women carving their space in the industry is to always stand tall and have confidence in your abilities. The best support you can receive is the support you give yourself, by understanding your potential and advocating for yourself. Your knowledge and passion for the industry will shine through and guide your success.”