Encina Equipment Finance hired Andy Brown, Katherine (Reichle) Branch and Beata Nicpon as senior managing director of Credit, managing director of Credit, and assistant vice president of Operations, respectively, in the company’s Danbury, CT headquarters. EEF also promoted James Giaquinto, who joined the company in connection with its launch in June 2017, to managing director of Operations.

Brown will be responsible for helping to scale EEF’s underwriting and portfolio management functions. He previously spent more than 15 years at GE Capital, where he most recently served as chief credit officer for the firm’s Working Capital Solutions business.

Branch will also be responsible for helping to scale EEF’s underwriting and portfolio management functions. She spent 16+ years at GE Capital, where she most recently served as vice president in the firm’s Energy Financial Services business.

Nicpon will be responsible for transaction documentation, funding and compliance. She spent 10+ years in equipment finance and most recently served in a transaction coordination role at CIT. Prior thereto, she held various portfolio management, asset management and operations roles at GE Capital.

“We’re thrilled to have added executives of this caliber to our senior management team,” said Rick Matte, EEF’s president and chief commercial officer. “Andy, Katie and Beata have exemplary track records and will contribute significantly to building out our underwriting, portfolio management and operations functions. Furthermore, Jamie has been instrumental in helping to establish EEF’s reputation as a highly dependable and user-friendly funding source, and his promotion is well-deserved.”