Wintrust Commercial Finance, a division of Wintrust Asset Finance, named Steve Altman senior vice president of corporate aviation finance. In this role, Altman will be responsible for growing direct capital lease and loan origination activities secured by business aircraft. Altman will also be responsible for supporting business aircraft financing originations with Wintrust Commercial Finance’s direct and indirect business development teams as well as Wintrust bankers and wealth management professionals.

Altman has more than 23 years of experience in equipment and commercial finance, with the last 10 years dedicated to originating transactions and managing aircraft finance portfolios. He joined Wintrust from Citizens Asset Finance where he served as senior vice president of corporate aircraft finance. Prior to his time with Citizens, Altman held positions of increasing responsibility at various institutions, including GE Capital and Bank of America Leasing and Capital. He lives in Chicago.

“Steve has been a proven performer in the corporate aviation finance sector and brings a wealth of knowledge, having originated and managed transactions from inception to disposition,” Tom Forbes, executive vice president and chief commercial officer at Wintrust Commercial Finance, said. “WCF has built a reputation for providing competitive and creative financing solutions for its customers and we are confident that Steve’s background and experience fit well with the culture we have built.”

“The dynamic emergence of Wintrust Commercial Finance as an equipment finance provider comes at a time when there has also been unprecedented growth in the business aviation sector,” Altman said. “Business jet financing provides a unique opportunity to develop and enhance key customer multi-product relationships. I’m excited to join the Wintrust team and help expand an already outstanding product offering.”