Converge 2023 Award Nominees

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People-First Leadership

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals whose leadership and career have made an enormous impact on the industry and the people who work for him/her. This person is known among colleagues and industry associates for taking a human-centered approach to leadership and for developing rising talent.

Dave Fate, CEO & Founder, Stonebriar Commercial Finance
Miles Herman, CEO, LEAF Commercial Capital, Inc.
Bill Verhelle, Founder & CEO, QuickFi by Innovation Finance USA
Adam Warner, President, Key Equipment Finance

Creating Change & Innovation

Our Converge Award Committee selected these thought leaders as individuals who have started dialogues within the equipment finance industry over the decades that have created or led to lasting and meaningful change (i.e. ESG, new products, innovation, culture, etc.) and/or people who have introduced the most innovative new methods, ideas, or products to the equipment finance industry over the last 50 years, which have created lasting change.

Randy Haug, EVP, Vice Chairman & Co-Founder, LTi Technology Solutions
Bill Phelan, General Manager for Commercial Business, Equifax; Former President & Co-Founder, PayNet
Deborah Reuben, CEO & Founder, TomorrowZone
Bill Verhelle, Founder & CEO, QuickFi by Innovation Finance USA

Champion of Diversity

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals who take a stand for diversity within the industry, encouraging the practice of including or elevating people from a range of different backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations.

Deb Baker, Head of Worldwide Leasing & Financing, HP
George Parker, Co-CEO & Co-Founder, VenSource Capital
Nancy Robles, President, Eastern Funding LLC
Scott Thacker, CEO, Ivory Consulting

MVP Behind the Scenes

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals who have supported and/or created best practices in the equipment finance industry in the areas of legal, tax / accounting, operations, credit technology and/or has volunteered time and effort into “extracurricular” equipment finance industry involvement such as associations, foundations, boards or other initiatives that strengthen or advocate for the industry.

Sudhir Amembal, CEO, Amembal & Associates; Author of 17 Books On Equipment Finance
John Bober, Managing Director, IXL Lease Advisory Services; Former Managing Director of GE Capital
Bill Bosco, President, Leasing101; Former Managing Director, CitiCapital
Bill Carey, EVP, General Counsel, TIAA Bank
Alan Mogol, Former Shareholder, Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz

CEO of the Decade – 1970s

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals whose significant contributions to the equipment finance industry made him/her emerge as the most impactful leader in the 1970s.

John Deane, Co-Founder & Board of Directors, The Alta Group; Former President, Nevada National Leasing & BancOne Leasing
Bill Montgomery, Co-Founder, The Alta Group, Former President, Chase Manhattan Leasing, Xerox Credit & Dell Financial Services
Jim Renner, Former President, Norwest Equipment Finance & Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
Tom Wajnert, Chairman Emeritus, The Alta Group; Former Founder, Chairman & CEO, AT&T Capital

CEO of the Decade – 1980s

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals whose significant contributions to the equipment finance industry made him/her emerge as the most impactful leader in the 1980s.

Jim Beard, Former President, Caterpillar Financial
Abe Bernstein, Former CEO, Master Lease Corporation, Tokai Financial Services & Fidelity Leasing
John Deane, Co-Founder & Board of Directors, The Alta Group; Former President, Nevada National Leasing & BancOne Leasing
Joe Lane, Vice Chairman, Napier Park Global Capital, Former President, IBM Credit & GATX Capital

CEO of the Decade – 1990s

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals whose significant contributions to the equipment finance industry made him/her emerge as the most impactful leader in the 1990s.

Tony Golobic, Executive Chairman, GreatAmerica Financial Services
Paul Larkins, Former President & CEO, Key Equipment Finance & SquareTwo Financial
Bill Verhelle, Founder & CEO, QuickFi by Innovation Finance USA
Tom Wajnert, Chairman Emeritus, The Alta Group; Former Founder, Chairman & CEO, AT&T Capital

CEO of the Decade – 2000s

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals whose significant contributions to the equipment finance industry made him/her emerge as the most impactful leader in the 2000s.

Tony Cracchiolo, President, Vendor Finance, U.S. Bank
Steve Grosso, CEO & Vice Chairman, Auxilior Capital Partners
Bill Verhelle, Founder & CEO, QuickFi by Innovation Finance USA
Adam Warner, President, Key Equipment Finance

CEO of the Decade – 2010s

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals whose significant contributions to the equipment finance industry made him/her emerge as the most impactful leader in the 2010s.

Mike DiCecco, Executive Managing Director, Huntington Asset Finance
Kris Snow, President, Cisco Capital
Bill Stephenson, CEO, PEAC Solutions
Bill Verhelle, Founder & CEO, QuickFi by Innovation Finance USA

CEO of the Decade – 2020s

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals whose significant contributions to the equipment finance industry made him/her emerge as the most impactful leader in the 2020s.

Martha Ahlers, President, United Leasing
Mike DiCecco, Executive Managing Director, Huntington Asset Finance
Mike Jones, President, Vendor Equipment Finance, First Citizens Bank
Amrita Patel, Head of Equipment Finance, Wells Fargo

Industry Legend

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals who have created a legacy in the industry that will inevitably stand the test of time and be recognized by future generations for decades to come.

Sudhir Amembal, CEO, Amembal & Associates; Author of 17 Books On Equipment Finance
Abe Bernstein, Former CEO, Master Lease Corporation, Tokai Financial Services & Fidelity Leasing
Tony Golobic, Executive Chairman, GreatAmerica Financial Services
Bruce Kropschot, Senior Managing Director, The Alta Group; Founder Kropschot Financial Services
Tom Wajnert, Chairman Emeritus, The Alta Group; Former Founder, Chairman & CEO, AT&T Capital

Trailblazer

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as individuals who created a new path of opportunity in the equipment finance industry.

Ellen Alemany, Vice Chairwoman, First Citizens Bank; Former Chairwoman & CEO, CIT Group
Valerie Jester, President, Brandywine Capital Associates
Debbie Monosson, CEO & President, Boston Financial & Equity
Scott Thacker, CEO, Ivory Consulting

Industry Titan

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as the individuals who laid the groundwork for the emerging equipment finance industry.

John Deane, Co-Founder & Board of Directors, The Alta Group; Former President, Nevada National Leasing & BancOne Leasing
Tony Golobic, Executive Chairman, GreatAmerica Financial Services
Mike Neal, Former CEO & Chairman, GE Capital
Tom Wajnert, Chairman Emeritus, The Alta Group; Former Founder, Chairman & CEO, AT&T Capital

2023 Leader of the Year – Sponsored by LTI Technology Solutions, Inc.

Our Converge Award Committee selected these leaders as the individuals who have made the most significant impact and contributions to the equipment finance industry over the last year.