Chelsea Wood started in the equipment finance industry on a whim. Though her background was in speech pathology and behavioral therapy, she decided to take a chance on a new career path in 2013. She started as a funding coordinator and quickly grew to a managerial role. Just a few years into her equipment finance career, she became one of the first individuals and teams within her organization to implement DocuSign into the funding process. Recognizing the benefits of becoming a more digital organization, she dedicated herself to becoming her team’s DocuSign expert, which enhanced the company’s customer experience and increased the efficiency and productivity of her team.

After only three years in the equipment finance industry, Wood decided to pursue a master’s degree in special education, which she completed in two years while continuing to work full time, train new hires and improve the funding processes within her team. Shortly after graduation, she left the industry thinking she was not going to look back, but was given another opportunity in a new funding position and has stayed in the industry since.

Today, Wood is the vice president, funding manager of Wintrust Specialty Finance. She was one of the four founding individuals who started the division in 2018. She recounts the early days of the small division, when the team shared a suite with another Wintrust division. The four members of specialty finance sat at the table in a conference room with nothing but pads of paper, writing down their ideas together. The glass windows of that conference room quickly became their white board and filled up with a mission statement, core processes and procedures that needed to be built, as well as action items the team would need to complete on a daily basis.

Having the opportunity to be part of something from day one and watch it grow to more than $2 billion in fundings since inception has been truly exceptional, Wood says, as it allowed her to gain rare, invaluable experience that she would not have had if she stayed in her prior position. Those days in the “war room,” as she calls it, are some of the most memorable for her.

In 2021, Wood was recognized as one of Monitor’s NextGen leaders. She recognizes that teamwork and commitment play a big role in this achievement and attributes much of her success to those around her. Being part of and continuing to build a team that encourages open communication, innovation and creativity is critical to the future success of any company, Wood says.

“Chelsea possesses a unique skill set from her experience and background in education,” Chris Mauldin, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Wintrust Specialty Finance, says. “Her positive attitude and personality enable her to work effortlessly with top executives, internal team members and, most importantly, our customers. It has been a real pleasure seeing Chelsea’s career progression and her continued growth as a leader.”

Kindness and confidence are at the forefront of Wood’s legacy. By leading with kindness, she is fostering a culture of empathy, respect and collaboration, creating an environment in which others feel valued and supported. Combined with confidence, these traits will enhance workplace morale and set a positive and powerful example for future leaders, proving that success is not only achieved through results, but also through the way people are treated along the journey. •