THERE’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
You’ll feel it in the caliber of the people featured and the momentum behind every story. Welcome to the launch of a new Monitor tradition: The Most Influential People in Equipment Finance, a wide-angle look at the people who have shaped the industry we all know and love today and the individuals who are plotting tomorrow’s trajectory.
These leaders push boundaries, set new standards and transform this industry from the inside out. And while some are recognizable stars of equipment finance, others are the driving forces behind
meaningful and powerful change. Each person on this year’s list represents a different facet of influence: innovation, advocacy, mentorship, inclusion, transformation, culture, brand building and
more. We’ve also rolled some of our previous Converge awards into the mix, including Leader of the Year, Team of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.
And that’s just the beginning! In our features, Ellen Comeaux dives into KPIs, offering insight into what’s worth tracking and which metrics to monitor to drive results. Scott Ribeiro and Tim Bowling sat down with me to discuss how equipment strategy is changing in the face of tariffs and global disruptions. Also on the topic of tariffs, Andy Blumenstock breaks down exactly how tariffs are reshaping large-ticket asset values across sectors. Scott Kiley makes a compelling case for true leases as an underused lever of long-term value.
Scott Nelson argues that fear has no place in managing uncertainty; instead, data, risk and AI come together to offer a new level of precision. Brian Wood outlines how private equity-backed firms can become more strategic with equipment financing, while Alex Barnes argues that cloud is no longer a back-burner topic. His advice? Move from on-prem to the cloud now or risk falling behind.
If that wasn’t enough, we also feature our second annual market leaders section, which tracks the top 20 new business volume producers in Trucks & Trailers, Construction, IT & Related Services, Industrial & Manufacturing, Materials Handling and Medical.
In Tipping the Scales, Ken Weinberg urges the industry to avoid resting on its reputation and to embrace change before it’s forced upon us. In The Collectors’ Chronicles, Ty Schwamberger offers a behind-the-scenes look at recovery and repossession, where the stakes are high and missteps are costly.
Every voice in this issue is contributing to the future of equipment finance in a meaningful way. And that meaning is the throughline of everything we do at Monitor: shining a light on what’s working, what’s next and who’s leading the way.
Let’s make “influential” not just a title but a responsibility. This issue is a celebration, yes — but it’s also a challenge. What will you do with your influence?
While you ponder that question, stay tuned for our year-end issue, which will include our seventh annual Women in Equipment Finance feature and the 2025 Bank 50 ranking and report.
