A new report, released by White Clarke Group, explores the most important global issues facing the auto and equipment finance industries. The report reveals that industry executives rank digitalization as one of the most important issues on their agenda for this year.

Another key global trend that is dominating C-suite discussions is the impact of new legislation and policies, which are changing the competitive landscape for finance providers.

Compliance and regulation sit at the heart of the finance market and the impact is being felt in every region of the world, ranging from fundamental changes to tax law in India, to new open banking rules in Europe and a more business-friendly approach to regulation in the U.S.

The industry also has to adapt to growing risks, particularly when it comes to cyber-security and the growing complexity of defending operations from hackers, while simultaneously providing more open finance and banking services to consumers.

The report contains the views of more than 30 industry leaders, with analysis covering North and South America, Europe and Asia Pacific.