array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(83390) ["name"]=> string(10) "Matt Akins" ["title"]=> string(25) "Director, Credit Products" ["company"]=> string(26) "Regions Equipment Finance " } }

For many in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic began as distant headlines from China and early supply chain disruptions before the virus was suddenly spreading so rapidly that the World Health Organization declared it a global pandemic. Lenders were left... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(83384) ["name"]=> string(13) "Deborah Brady" ["title"]=> string(9) "SVP & CFO" ["company"]=> string(21) "Key Equipment Finance" } }

Life today is beginning to resemble normalcy. But before we rapidly go back to what was, it’s important to take stock of what we’ve learned over the last 16 months and use the knowledge we’ve gained to guide us as... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(60723) ["name"]=> string(15) "Rita E. Garwood" ["title"]=> string(15) "editor-in-chief" ["company"]=> string(7) "Monitor" } }

Young leaders can breathe new life into an organization by sharing their ideas and advice. In interviews with 2021 Monitor NextGen Leaders, we asked an important question: What would be your top priority if you were appointed CEO of an... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(83142) ["name"]=> string(15) "Bill Stephenson" ["title"]=> string(39) "CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board" ["company"]=> string(3) "DLL" } }

You’ve been with DLL for 35 years of your career. Let’s go back to the very beginning of your career. What were your goals as a young professional? Bill Stephenson: When you go back to the start of this great... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(60723) ["name"]=> string(12) "Rita Garwood" ["title"]=> string(15) "editor-in-chief" ["company"]=> string(7) "Monitor" } }

Equipment finance isn’t sexy. So how do companies in the industry attract and retain younger talent? The first step suggested by many of Monitor’s 2021 NextGen Leaders is spreading awareness. Mike Richards, a financial specialist at Philips Medical Capital —... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(82191) ["name"]=> string(14) "Heather Parker" ["title"]=> string(3) "CFO" ["company"]=> string(14) "Balboa Capital" } }

In the press release announcing Balboa’s recent $50 million corporate note financing, you mentioned that this transaction will support your growth strategy from 2021 and beyond. Can you tell us a bit more about those plans? Heather Parker: Balboa Capital... read more

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CONTENT CONTINUES AFTER CHART Despite a tumultuous year for the global economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Monitor’s Top 25 Independents grew a collective 9.1% in 2020, increasing the group’s volume from $6,075.8 million in 2019 to $6,626.3 million by... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(82039) ["name"]=> string(9) "Dave Fate" ["title"]=> string(15) "President & CEO" ["company"]=> string(29) "Stonebriar Commercial Finance" } }

What was the biggest challenge your company faced in 2020 and how did you overcome it? Dave Fate: The biggest challenge we faced was the sudden stop in travel and loss of opportunity to meet face to face with customers,... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(82002) ["name"]=> string(12) "Kyle Shenton" ["title"]=> string(39) "Managing Director, Asset Securitization" ["company"]=> string(12) "Regions Bank" } }

In the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown, many feared the worst for businesses that were ordered to shut down. Kyle Shenton, managing director of Asset Securitization at Regions Bank, and Matt Tallo, managing director of the Financial Institutions Group... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(81390) ["name"]=> string(11) "Lisa Rafter" ["title"]=> string(40) "CEO & Founder STRIPES Leadership Program" ["company"]=> string(26) "STRIPES Leadership Program" } }

Lisa Rafter’s daily work as publisher of the Monitor involves sitting down with equipment finance leaders to talk about everything from current trends to strategies for making the industry resilient to disruption and relevant in the future. In between calls... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(72653) ["name"]=> string(15) "Rita E. Garwood" ["title"]=> string(15) "Editor in Chief" ["company"]=> string(7) "Monitor" } }

In early 2020, a Leasing Life article posed a question after the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland: “Could leasing be the unsung hero of a circular economy?”[1] According to the article, equipment lessors are “well-positioned” to become... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(72653) ["name"]=> string(15) "Rita E. Garwood" ["title"]=> string(15) "Editor in Chief" ["company"]=> string(7) "Monitor" } }

Participating in the circular economy is clearly a good move for the planet. Plus, according to research from Accenture, it could create $4.5 trillion in economic growth by 2030 and up to $25 trillion by 2050.[1] Equipment finance companies are... read more

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How has the technology that equipment finance companies use evolved over the last one to five years? Jeffrey Bilbrey: To manage growth in terms of volume, sophistication, or both has always required ever-evolving technology. Five years ago, equipment finance companies... read more

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What does innovation mean to you? What makes a company truly innovative? Deborah Reuben: Innovation is all about new processes, new products, new approaches, new methods, new ways of doing things that really improve the human experience in some way... read more

array(1) { [0]=> array(4) { ["photo"]=> int(81334) ["name"]=> string(15) "Chad Sluss, MSA" ["title"]=> string(24) "Executive Director & CEO" ["company"]=> string(4) "NEFA" } }

You are new to the equipment finance community. Can you tell us about your career path that led to your current role at the National Equipment Finance Association? I started my career as a marketing manager with ARAMARK before going... read more