Kirk S. Phillips, president and CEO of Wintrust Commercial Finance, has been selected to serve as chairman on the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association Financial Institutions Business Council Steering Committee. This will be Phillips’ fourth year on the council.

“I am truly excited to serve as chair for this year’s council,” Phillips said. “It has been an honor to serve with key industry leaders over the last few years, and I’m looking forward to continuing our work to address the growing challenges and demands of our industry.”

The Financial Institutions Business Council Steering Committee is one of five primary constituent bodies at ELFA. The committees provide critical input on the direction of the association and serve as a bridge between the membership, board of directors, and staff. Committee members are elected by the Business Council membership for a term of two years on a staggered basis.

The Financial Institutions Business Council Steering Committee represents bank-related and other financial institutions engaged in the middle market and large-ticket sectors, including commercial banks, investment banks, and multi-line finance companies. The committee analyzes the needs of companies in this segment and recommends to the board how to meet those needs.

Wintrust is a financial holding company with assets of over $30 billion. It operates fifteen community bank subsidiaries, with over 160 banking locations located in the greater Chicago and southern Wisconsin market areas.