Francis J. (Fran) Maier Jr. and Abraham I. (Abe) Schwartzbard joined The Alta Group to expand the firm’s equipment finance consulting services for managed solutions transactions, vendor/captive programs and sales development and training..

Maier most recently was vice president and global general manager of Xerox Financial Services, where he led the development and execution of business and financing strategies supporting a $6 billion captive lease portfolio spanning 31 countries. His career at Xerox also included serving as chief financial officer, among other positions.

As an Alta director, Maier will work with the firm’s other consultants to provide advisory services to vendor and captive programs as well as the growing numbers of clients interested in managed solutions transactions. Managed solutions transactions are bundled products and services transactions that could generate 22% or more of total equipment leasing and finance industry volumes in the next three to five years, according to an Equipment Leasing & Finance Foundation study conducted by The Alta Group.

Schwartzbard has extensive experience as a marketing executive with AT&T Credit, Hewlett Packard Financial Services and Cisco Capital. His expertise includes training sales teams and enhancing their skills in dealing with financial customers. He also enjoys mentoring the next generation of professionals as adjunct professor of marketing at Yeshiva University Sy Syms School of Business, where he teaches a course on high technology marketing and sales.

As an Alta director, Schwartzbard will collaborate with the firm’s other consultants to provide training and development services to equipment leasing and finance sales teams.