Monitor Live+ Strategic Resilience:
Aligning Equipment Finance with the New SME Mindset
Join Monitor for an exclusive session with Acquis to explore insights from 500 SMB decision-makers on their shifting priorities for equipment investment and the evolving finance landscape.
Key Insights We’ll Discuss:
- The Cautious Growth Paradox: Why investment opportunity remains strong despite a more guarded mindset.
- The Funding Risk Shift: How access to capital has moved rapidly to the top of the SMB risk agenda.
- Operational Continuity: Identifying the real opportunities in helping SMBs maintain seamless operations.
- The Competitive Landscape: Navigating the intensifying pressure in the financing market.
While 84% of U.S. SMEs are poised to invest in new business equipment over the next 12 months, the landscape they are navigating is increasingly complex. According to research from Acquis, SME optimism has softened to 59%, and for the first time in recent years, access to capital has moved rapidly up the risk agenda.
Join a panel of leading equipment finance executives as they break down Acquis’ exclusive research from 500 SME decision-makers to reveal the strategies required to thrive in an intensifying competitive market. This session goes beyond the data to discuss how industry leaders are addressing rising concerns around talent, fraud and supply chain disruptions while delivering the speed and operational continuity that SMEs now demand.
Takeaways for attendees:
- Discover how to align your financing products with the 84% of SMEs planning equipment acquisitions despite a more cautious economic outlook.
- Learn why 78% of SMEs value fast repair and replacement over price, and how to integrate insurance and risk management to reduce business disruption.
- Understand why access to capital has become a top-five business risk and how to position your firm against intensifying competition from cash reserves and credit cards.
- Gain insights into how to pivot your messaging to support the 52% of SMEs who are prioritizing technology and operational optimization as their primary growth drivers.
Register Now!
Meet the Panel: We are bringing together a range of industry experts to dissect these findings.
Moderated by: Nick Leader, Chief Executive Officer, Acquis
Nick Leader is Chief Executive Officer of Acquis, bringing over two decades of experience in the equipment finance industry. He has held a range of senior roles in his career spanning claims, client management, product development and underwriting, building a broad and practical understanding of the sector.
Nick joined Acquis in January 2011 and quickly played a key role in driving the company’s growth. Nick has been central to the growth of Acquis, spearheading its development into the world’s largest provider of leased equipment insurance programs.
Jennifer Bello, Global Head of Strategic Marketing for Healthcare, Workplace and Technology, DLL
Jennifer Bello is the Head of Global Marketing and Digital for DLL’s Workplace, Healthcare, and Technology global business unit (GBU). She leads the GBU’s strategic marketing, digital priorities, experience initiatives, and co-develops the GBU’s commercial strategy. Previously, Jenn built and led DLL’s commercial finance marketing function, delivering more than 300% growth in five years. She is a recognized leader in the equipment finance industry, earning Monitor‘s NextGen Leader award in 2025, and is an active member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA), serving on its Communications Committee. Jenn is passionate about developing talent and partnering with customers and colleagues to execute strategies that drive growth, improve satisfaction, and inspire creativity and innovation.
Jeff Nicholas, Chief Risk Officer, PEAC Solutions
Jeff Nicholas joined PEAC Solutions in February 2020 and has an extensive background in commercial finance with 28 years of credit and risk management experience. Prior to joining PEAC Solutions, he was executive vice president and chief risk officer for BB&T Commercial Equipment Capital from 2006 until 2019. Previously, Nicholas held senior leadership positions in credit and risk management with several other leading bank-owned and independent leasing companies. Nicholas received his bachelor’s degree from West Chester University and an MBA from Penn State University.
Rick Henderson, CEO, BriteCap