Scott Eshleman, chief risk officer at Dext Capital, is moving the company beyond scorecard-driven underwriting toward a more dynamic, portfolio-informed approach to risk management. His team weighs each customer’s industry, equipment strategy, reimbursement environment and the broader economic drivers shaping long-term performance. While financial statements and credit bureau data remain important, there are multiple other data points that can sharpen credit underwriting.

“Better underwriting isn’t about taking less risk — it’s about understanding risk more precisely so we can say ‘yes’ to more quality customers,” Eshleman says.

Technology anchors that philosophy, powering Dext’s auto-decisioning model and giving credit professionals more time to evaluate business fundamentals instead of gathering data. Eshleman believes the strongest underwriting blends that speed and consistency with the expert judgment and curiosity of the credit team, keeping Dext responsive without sacrificing its discipline.