2024 Monitor Top Women in Equipment Finance: Keara Piekanski, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Oakmont Capital Services

by Monitor Staff Nov/Dec 2024
“If you can’t secure a ‘seat at the table’ you deserve to sit at despite your high-level skillset, strong work ethic and performance excellence, find or build a table where you’re welcomed and appreciated."
Keara Piekanski
Vice President, Marketing
and Communications,
Oakmont Capital Services

At Oakmont Capital Services (OCS), Keara Piekanski leads the marketing team, where she is responsible for driving the strategic vision and spearheading content creation. Following OCS’ acquisition by JA Mitsui Leasing Group in March 2024, necessitating updates to the brand presence, Piekanski’s role expanded significantly. She played a key role in developing a broader influence across industry verticals through marketing efforts. In the past year, she also obtained her Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) designation. These major accomplishments, alongside her work ethic and hard work in other areas of the business, contributed to her promotion from director of marketing to vice president of marketing and communications.

“In a year marked by challenges and change, Keara has navigated the complexities of the market and helped turn them into opportunities for growth,” Jim Peach, senior vice president of sales and marketing at OCS, says. “Keara’s innovative strategies and sound leadership have helped elevate the Oakmont brand and drive remarkable results. Keara’s vision and pursuit of excellence have positively impacted OCS and her team.”

With more than 20 years of experience in marketing, Piekanski has developed a wealth of expertise working with B2B and B2C customers in both agency and corporate environments. Since joining OCS in 2018, she has significantly enhanced the company’s marketing capabilities (including doubling her team’s size), established the company’s mission, vision and values, created a distinct brand voice and dramatically increased OCS’ online presence. Her notable achievements include boosting social media traffic by 144% year over year, increasing Google online reviews six-fold in 18 months and writing multiple articles published by industry media outlets. She also contributes to all daily content produced by OCS’ marketing team.

Piekanski’s leadership style is a testament to her commitment to her team’s growth. She prioritizes their needs above her own, coaching, inspiring and encouraging life-long learning. Her joy lies in helping her team solve problems, and she aspires to be the kind of leader she would want to follow: open, knowledgeable, fair, positive and trustworthy.

Piekanski’s is actively involved in the equipment finance industry. She chairs the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association’s (ELFA’s) Communications Committee, mentors in ELFA’s Women’s Mentorship Program, is a member of the National Equipment Finance Association’s Marketing Committee and volunteers with the CLFP to present sales and marketing overviews during training for the Academy for Lease and Finance Professionals. Additionally, she is the former chair of the CLFP Marketing Committee.

Outside of her professional work, Piekanski dedicates time to supporting and uplifting her community as a volunteer. She serves as the chair of OCS’s Pennsylvania Philanthropy Committee, organizing charity activities alongside her colleagues.

Piekanski takes pride in having progressed in her career on her own terms. Her focus on getting things done, expanding her knowledge and learning from her experiences — both good and bad — have guided her professional journey. She is particularly proud of supporting the careers of various junior-level direct reports, some of whom have advanced to titles like marketing manager and assistant marketing director. Piekanski’s personal career values not only reflect her journey, but also make her a relatable and inspiring leader to others.

“A former boss gave me this piece of advice years ago: ‘You are in charge of your career path,’ and it’s true,” Piekanski says. “You must guide your career, advocate for yourself and know your stuff. Coaches, mentors and sponsors can help you along the way, but it’s up to you to find your place within an organization.” •

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