Monitor is extremely pleased to introduce our readers to its first annual leadership awards. Deborah and I work at opposite ends of the corporate spectrum; I run an independent small ticket equipment finance company, and she runs Worldwide Leasing and Financing at HP. However, we share both a passion for and long tenures in the industry and are strong believers in positive recognition for hard work, good ethics, and a long record of professional achievement.
Which is why Monitor has created five industry awards to pay tribute to some of the most influential people currently in the industry: the Pioneer, Veteran, Current Leader, Disruptor and Next Generation Awards. The awards were developed by Monitor staff, with the winners selected by the Monitor Editorial Board, a broad cross section of industry leaders including Deborah and myself. We are excited to establish an annual cadence for these awards with 2019 representing our inaugural list of esteemed award recipients.
The Pioneer Award is given to a trailblazer in the industry, a leader who was the first to try new ways of business and has seen the fruits of her or his labor by creating greatness. The winner of the Pioneer award is Tony Golobic, CEO, GreatAmerica Financial Services. We cannot think of anyone who embodies the pioneer spirit more fully than Tony, who started GreatAmerica 27 years ago and grew it to a company with over $2.2 billion in assets and 640 employees. Golobic is passionate about the importance of building a strong culture as the key to success of any organization.
Adam Warner, President, Key Equipment Finance, is the recipient of this year’s Veteran Icon Award, an honor reserved for leaders who have weathered passing storms while demonstrating high levels of performance and contribution to the industry over many years. The Veteran Award does not necessarily have to be a CEO, although in this case the winner is one of the best CEOs in the business and a deserving recipient.
The Current Leader Award is given to an individual who utilizes their creativity, knowledge and influence to move her or his company forward. This year’s award goes to Terey Jennings, President, Financial Pacific Leasing, who is in the process of taking over the leadership of FinPac from Paul Menzel. I cannot think of a better person to win the Current Leader Award. Jennings leads a large company that has grown quickly over the past ten years, overseeing FinPac as it thrived both as an independent and now as a bank-owned company.
The Disruptor Award goes to an innovator and game changer, an individual challenging the status quo and breaking new ground. This year’s award goes to Mark Tomaselli, President, Innovation Finance. Tomaselli led the innovation team at First American and is now chief technology architect of Innovation Finance, one most exciting new companies in the industry.
The final award is the Next Generation Leader. The award is given to an individual who is an up-and-comer, a newer leader with great potential. Our Next Generation Leader is Kara Miyasato, Director of Marketing, Stryker Flex Financial. Miyasato has been with Stryker for 12 years and has climbed quickly through the ranks of both Stryker and the Emerging Talent Advisory Council of the ELFA.
The Pioneer
The Veteran
The Current Leader
The Disruptor
The Next Generation Leader
