360 Equipment Finance added Ryan Chen as director of operations, further strengthening the firm’s operational leadership as it continues to scale its platform and expand its partner network across the equipment finance industry.
Chen brings more than 25 years of experience in equipment finance, with a track record of building and scaling vendor-driven origination platforms across broker, vendor and direct lending channels. Over the course of his career, he has been directly responsible for more than $350 million in equipment finance originations and has led the development of programs designed to generate consistent, high-quality deal flow.
As director of operations, Chen will focus on enhancing the overall partner experience, improving internal workflows and driving operational alignment across departments. He will also lead key initiatives around technology and AI integration, helping to streamline processes, improve execution speed and position 360 Equipment Finance for continued growth and scalability.
Prior to joining 360 Equipment Finance, Chen founded and scaled his own equipment finance platform, led post-acquisition operations as chief operating officer at Sparkir/Faastrak and built embedded financing programs within vendor ecosystems. His experience across both entrepreneurial and institutional environments allows him to align origination strategy, credit standards and operational infrastructure in support of scalable growth.
“Ryan offers a powerful blend of operational expertise and hands-on industry experience that will be critical as we continue to scale,” Scott Forrest, chief revenue officer of 360 Equipment Finance, said. “His deep understanding of broker-driven origination, coupled with his ability to streamline processes and drive efficiency, positions us to better support our partners and accelerate growth.”
Chen added, “I’m excited to join 360 Equipment Finance at a time when the company is continuing to build real momentum. There’s a strong foundation in place, and a clear opportunity to further enhance how we support our broker and partner network. I’m looking forward to helping streamline operations, leverage technology more effectively and contribute to the next phase of growth.”
