Wells Fargo recently named GE Capital veteran Jim Kelly group head of Vendor Financial Services. In a Q&A with Monitor, Kelly discusses the process of integrating the vendor businesses of GE and Wells Fargo, his father’s contagious optimism and his hope for attracting bright and diverse talent to the equipment finance industry.... read more
May/June 2016
After nearly three decades in business, VAR Technology Finance has seen some major changes and gone through some of its own. Luckily, that has gone hand-in-hand with strong growth. CEO Gary Sutton discusses the company’s rebranding, success in 2015 and the next big frontier.... read more
March/April 2016
Faced with losing small business customers due to regulatory requirements, Tom Depping yielded Main Street Bank’s charter in 2011 and launched Ascentium Capital, an independent finance company that caters to the needs of its small business clients. After five years in business, Ascentium has surpassed Depping’s initial goal for the company and achieved 56% year-over-year growth in new business volume last year.... read more
March/April 2016
Launched in 2006 with the sole purpose of financing titled equipment, Crossroads Equipment Lease and Finance has expanded to become Crossroads Capital Group — a company that now also syndicates loans through First Continental Capital Group and provides solutions for small businesses through Crossroads Small Business Solutions. Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Crossroads President Jeff Macartney attributes the company’s success to its tenacity.... read more
March/April 2016
After building Continental Bank from the ground up for 12 years, Michael Fosmark goes back to the drawing board as president of Celtic Bank’s Equipment Finance Group. In his first few months, he has assembled a team of staff members, established a basis for future growth and anticipates exploiting Celtic’s already strong position in the national SBA lending space as a catalyst for expansion.... read more
January/February 2016
Since its inception in April of 2015, Wintrust Commercial Finance has made major waves in the equipment finance industry. President and CEO Kirk Phillips details the company’s growth both in terms of volume and personnel, while outlining the exciting things on the horizon for the new venture.... read more
March 2016
Marc Paulhus discusses his dual role as president of Citizens Asset Finance and Citizens Bank Rhode Island president, a position that has brought him back to his home state where Citizens dominates in market share. During a 30-year career, Paulhus says he’s learned that the equipment finance industry is resilient.... read more
November/December 2015
Lisa A. Miller catches up with four industry leaders who discuss the current economic environment, industry sentiment and pending regulations. They say discipline, strategy and customer relationships are essential to maintaining a profitable balance between risk and reward in a market where competition threatens to disrupt that balance.... read more
September/October 2015
After nearly two decades with Fifth Third, Tom Partridge is taking on an entirely different role as leader of the bank’s Equipment Finance division. Despite the change of scenery, he has set some lofty goals, saying he wants to make his new unit the best retail bank leasing company in the U.S.... read more
September/October 2015
Dave Fate and Paul Bossidy share the story of Stonebriar Commercial Finance and their plans to build the startup into a diversified commercial finance company. With the GE Capital divesture announced one week after Stonebriar’s launch, conditions in the underserved middle-market playing field are the best they have seen in 30 years.... read more
September/October 2015
Monitor publisher, Jerry Parrotto, catches up with Steve Hudson and Brad Nullmeyer of Element Financial. Driven by innovation, opportunity and a customer-centric business model, Element has quickly risen from a small regional player to one of the largest fleet management and equipment finance companies in North America. Hudson and Nullmeyer share their story of success and provide a peek of what lies ahead.... read more
September/October 2015
In an achievement unmatched by most equipment finance executives, Craig R. Dahl has been appointed president of TCF Financial Corporation. In this exclusive Monitor interview, Dahl shares the keys to TCF’s success: engaged leadership, strong risk management, a rigorous control process, as well as recruiting — and retaining — a winning team.... read more
July/August 2015
Santander Bank has entered the corporate equipment finance arena with a #84 ranking in the Monitor 100. This is only the beginning for newly appointed Group Head Vincent Belcastro, who plans to build a best-in-class equipment finance operation that will stand the test of time.... read more
Monitor 100 2015
Monitor contributor Daniel Casciato catches up with Paul Severn, who talks about creating a culture of change as SunTrust’s Equipment Finance Group transitioned from a standalone business to one of many financial products available to SunTrust customers.... read more
Monitor 100 2015
As he takes the reins from industry legend Ed Dahlka, newly appointed president of MB Equipment Finance David M. Drury discusses his vision for the company formerly known as Cole Taylor Equipment Finance. He looks back on the 12 years he spent with GE Capital and envisions what the future may hold for the industry when the “800 pound gorilla” is gone for good.... read more
Monitor 100 2015