Northteq, a provider of Salesforce loan origination solutions and equipment finance software, promoted Lara Tolland from director of product to chief operating officer and hired Jeannette McNamara as its new director of product. Following these personnel moves, 80% of Northteq’s leadership team identify as women, a stark contrast to the broader technology industry.

Tolland will leverage her 15-plus years of expertise in loan origination software systems to guide the company’s strategic operations. In her previous role as director of product, Tolland championed Northteq’s product evolution, helping develop automation capabilities aimed at accelerating deal processing from application to documentation in three minutes. Her team’s innovations also included the introduction of artificial-intelligence-powered application entry for equipment finance lenders, utilizing machine learning to accurately interpret and import data from hand-written applications directly into Northteq’s Aurora platform.

McNamara has 18 years of experience delivering complex software-as-a-service platforms in education technology (edtech).

“I’ve spent my tech career under largely male-dominated leadership. While I’ve had amazing male mentors and advocates, the opportunity to be part of a small leadership team, with such a strong set of female talent, inspired me to change sectors and join Northteq,” McNamara said. “Combined with Kristian [Dolan]’s innovative vision for the company and Lara’s depth of experience in fintech, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Along with Tolland and McNamara, Northteq’s leadership team includes Melissa Capps, human resources manager; Katy Chan, director of professional services; and Dolan, CEO and founder.

“Our diversity is our strength, propelling us to think out of the box and continuously innovate for the equipment leasing industry. With such a dedicated and diverse team, I’m filled with optimism about the phenomenal strides we’re set to make next year,” Dolan said.