Lori A. Dean, CLFP, joined Cadence Equipment Finance (CEF), formerly BancorpSouth Equipment Finance, in 2018 as senior vice president and director. She currently oversees the day-to-day operations, portfolio servicing and two teams of operations specialists located in Arkansas and Mississippi. She also acts as a liaison to equipment finance relationship managers, community bank relationship managers and the corporate and institutional banking team for all back office related issues.
During Dean’s tenure at Cadence Equipment Finance, she has led the operations team in a revamping of workflows while working tirelessly to ensure a smooth transition of future IT initiatives that will improve CEF’s customer experience and help solidify customer relationships.
Dean started her career in banking at 17 through a high school program called ‘cooperative office education.’ Working as a part-time teller provided Dean with an opportunity for long-term career growth and quickly laid the foundation for what would be a very successful career in the banking industry. During her time in retail banking, she developed valuable leadership skills as a branch manager, which would later help her transition into the role as director of operations and one of three founding members of Arvest Equipment Finance (AEF) in 2007.
While at AEF, Dean served as secretary on the board of directors and was personally responsible for two separate platform conversations during her tenure with the bank. Dean worked with mentors that showed her the pathway to success and has been a proponent of cross-training and promoting from within. With a passion for mentoring others and growing future leaders within the industry, she values members of her team as individuals and welcomes their ideas with genuine respect and opportunity.
“As I look back over the years, it honestly feels like yesterday that I took a leap of faith and began my equipment finance career,” Dean says. “I was fortunate enough that my mentor pushed me at what seemed, during the time, beyond my limits to inspire me to grow and learn, all while having a great time preparing for my future! Be that inspiring, relationship driven, determined to succeed, knowledge sharing, do not take no for an answer, woman. Anything is possible!”
Throughout Dean’s equipment finance career, she has been a member of the National Equipment Finance Association, where she served as conference chair for the annual funding symposium in Washington, DC. Additionally, she has held several committee assignments with NEFA over the years. Dean has also served on the board of directors for Certified Lease and Finance Professionals and is currently a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association.
“Lori Dean continues to be instrumental in helping Cadence Bank to grow and expand our national equipment finance footprint,” Jake Munn, executive managing director and president of corporate and institutional banking at Cadence Bank, says. “As director of operations for equipment finance, her ability to organize the team, improve our workflow processes and execute on our overall strategy has led to material wins over the past few years. We are grateful for all that Ms. Dean does for our organization, and we share her excitement and joy with being named within the top 50 women in equipment finance.”
“If you are a young woman considering or starting your journey, do not give up! Show up and show out every day. Listen, serve and always remain humble. This has been my key to success.”