The Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation added 13 individuals who recently sat through and passed the online proctored CLFP exam. They are:

1. Noah Beh, CLFP Associate – manager of operations, Auxilior Capital Partners
2. Brooks Bocko, CLFP – senior financial analyst, Dext Capital
3. Jefferson Choi, CLFP – credit analyst, Wintrust Specialty Finance
4. Kaitlyn Guidry, CLFP – funding manager, Financial Partners Group
5. Barry Hart, CLFP – vice president industrial, Wintrust Specialty Finance
6. Robert Johnson, CLFP – vice president, capital markets, Summit Funding Group
7. Kelly Lyon, CLFP – senior operations support specialist, First American Equipment Finance
8. Sasha Mata, CLFP – account manager, 360 Equipment Finance
9. Matt Meier, CLFP – platform integration specialist, Great American Insurance
10. Thanh Pham, CLFP – vice president, relationship support manager, Wintrust Specialty Finance
11. Jeremy Phillips, CLFP – credit officer, Wintrust Commercial Finance
12. Anthony Ruggiere, CLFP – assistant vice president, credit, Wintrust Commercial Finance
13. Mark Swearingen, CLFP – credit officer, Wintrust Commercial Finance

“The CLFP is a very highly regarded designation; earning it requires breadth and depth of industry knowledge, but critically, it also requires an understanding of how to practically apply that knowledge in the real world,” Meier said. “As I continue to grow professionally, I want to be recognized as a leader in my company and in our industry. Earning the CLFP designation helps me to accomplish both of those goals. Although I am in a technology role on the insurance side, having knowledge of the finance business side enables me to bridge gaps effectively, helping to push our industry into the digital age.”

“I chose to pursue my CLFP designation after watching the proficiency of my fellow co-workers in their positions,” Hart said. “While having deep experience within the commercial finance industry, many changes in regulations and the overall market left a need for additional education.”