6:30 -
8:30 am |
5k Fun Run
JW Marriott Grande Lakes Jogging Path
|
| 8:00 am |
Golf Tournament and Luncheon
Ritz-Carlton Golf Club
|
8:00 am -
Noon |
Jim McGrane Charity Bike Ride
30 mile route leaves from the hotel
(pre-registration required, limited to 40 attendees)
|
8:00 am -
1:00 pm |
 Community Service Project
Give Kids the World Village
(pre-registration required, limited to 60 attendees)
|
| 9:00 am |
Tennis Tournament and Luncheon
JW Marriott Grande Lakes Tennis Courts
|
10:00 am -
8:00 pm |
Convention Registration
(Attendees & Exhibitors) |
2:00 -
4:00 pm |
 Community Service Project
Feeding Children Everywhere
(pre-registration required, limited to 70 attendees)
|
2:00 -
5:00 pm |
Exhibitor Set Up |
4:00 -
5:00 pm |
Foundation VIP Donor Reception
(By Invitation)
|
5:00 -
6:00 pm |
Women in Leasing Reception
|
5:00 -
6:00 pm |
New Members and Leadership Reception
(By Invitation)
|
6:00 -
8:30 pm |
Welcoming Reception
(in Exhibit Hall) |
7:00 -
8:15 am |
Group Breakfast |
7:00 am -
4:30 pm |
Convention Registration |
7:00 am -
4:30 pm |
Exhibits Open |
8:30 -
10:30 am |
General Session
President’s Report and Keynote Address
Speakers:
RALPH PETTA
President and CEO
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association
JOHN ELLIS
Managing Director of Ellis & Associates,
a Global Management Consulting Firm
|
9:00 am -
3:00 pm |
Spouse/Companion Event
Revolution Off Road ATV and Archery |
10:30 -
11:00 am |
Break |
11:00 am -
12:30 pm |
Issue Breakout Sessions
There is a term for having a "balance" of people from different backgrounds and perspectives in a group – "diversity." Compelling research shows that diverse teams make better decisions and diverse companies have greater financial success. Many leaders know this, but don't know how to create an organization that effectively uses differences – or how to sustain a work environment where more individuals can do their best work. This session will crack the code on how to leverage difference at the level of team and organization. And it will inspire participants to examine what we could call "internal balance." Some people stick to a single style or approach. Others fluidly shift from one to another depending on the challenge or circumstance. The latter are likely to be more effective in more situations. They are also more likely to appreciate difference in others and so create greater engagement (leading to better results). Gaining tools to effectively shift one's style, and to appreciate differences in others, is the goal of this session. We will review the data on the business value of "diversity." We will explore one very common and accessible form of difference – the differences in "masculine" and "feminine" perspectives and styles. We will see how differences show up on a "gender" continuum. In an interactive and fun way, we will explore the difference in "masculine" and "feminine" ways of speaking and making decisions and see how leveraging both ends of the continuum makes for better leaders and better results.
Speaker:
Caroline Turner
DifferenceWORKS
As we’ve seen over last decade, risk weight regulations have had unintended consequences. Businesses are not gaining the access to capital they need. Lenders lend based on the wrong incentives. This session provides an overview of two systems for calculating risk weighted assets, Basel and CECL, and their unintended consequences and applications.
Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation Research Featured.
Speakers:
William Phelan
PayNet, Inc.
Brian Chen
Harvard Business School
Patrick Moore
PayNet, Inc.
Brian Ranson
Credit Thoughts, LLC
Tom Ware
PayNet, Inc.
As the equipment lease and finance industry continues its digital transformation, it is becoming increasingly common to work with funders and investors in a fully digital ecosystem. In this session, industry experts will focus on the real-world adoption of digital processes in the industry and its impact on their businesses, from customer experience to internal operations to accessing capital through funders and investors.
Speakers:
Anthony Cracchiolo
U.S. Bank Equipment Finance
Brian Kelly
eOriginal Inc.
Dominic Liberatore
DLL
Andrea Petro
Wells Fargo
David Schaefer, CLFP
Mintaka Financial, LLC
Digital Transformation for Leasing & Asset Finance Companies seeking to accelerate sales, drive operational efficiencies & service performance leveraging design thinking. There is a dramatic shift in the way new digital technologies can drive seamless customer experience through middle office to back office. Is your organization ready to embrace digital? What’s the right operating model to evolve to next generation technologies like artificial intelligence?
Speakers:
Anu Sachdeva
Genpact, LLC
Srinivasan Bharadwaj
Genpact, LLC
Matt LeSage
Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
Shelley Pittman
KPMG LLP
Shailen Salvi
KPMG LLP
Nick Small
Cisco Capital
|
12:45 -
2:30 pm |
Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation Luncheon
Speakers:
ROBERT WESCOTT, Ph.D.
President
Keybridge Research LLC
|
3:00 -
4:30 pm |
Issue Breakout Sessions
Leadership and team development are themes people talk about a lot, but few organizations are able to build truly great companies. In this panel discussion, we will examine real world successes and failures from several forward thinking equipment finance companies. The panel will take a look at the issues from both sides; leaders and the people running the day to day operations. What routines and practices do managers need to put in place to empower themselves and their teams. The conversation will examine the definition of leadership, corporate culture, core values and work life balance. We will discuss hiring, developing and building teams across multiple generations in the work force. In this interactive session, we will ask audience members to share some of their experiences and develop more of a dialogue than a presentation.
Speakers:
Andrew Bender
GSG Financial LLC
Jacob Fahl
Hitachi Capital America Corp.
RJ Grimshaw
UniFi Equipment Finance
Mike Wiedemer
First American Equipment Finance
Changes in technology, customer demands, accounting standards, and regulatory requirements are shaping a new equipment leasing environment. Equipment leasing and financing are becoming different from each other, and financing without hard assets at all, in software and services, is becoming more commonplace. Building marketable and fundable transaction structures for the next industry generation will demand the breaking of many conventional paradigms. This session will bring to trial the forced retirement of the venerable Hell-or-High-Water Clause, one of the pillars upon which equipment leases have firmly rested for decades but which is now charged with becoming increasingly irrelevant in a world of managed solutions and "non-equipment" financings. The prosecution will rest on the shoulders of master trial lawyer Mr. Rafael Castillo-Triana, who will call industry witnesses to prove that HOHW is no longer necessary or useful in the emerging era of MSTs. The Clarence Darrow of leasing, Mr. Paul Bent, will fend off such charges through industry witnesses who foresee a long and robust future for HOHW transactions. Both sides will submit evidence by means of case studies illustrating their points of view and the testimony of expert witnesses (the panelists indicated above). Ultimately, a jury of industry peers (i.e., the audience) will determine whether the long-venerated HOHW provision must be condemned to total abandonment or should be absolved and embraced.
Speakers:
Rafael Castillo-Triana
The Alta Group
Paul Bent
The Alta Group
Diane Croessmann
Lenovo Financial Services
Henry Duncan
Societe Generale Equipment Finance
Dominic Liberatore
DLL
Scott Thacker
Ivory Consulting Corporation
This topic will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities facing our lessee clients and the impact they may have for lessors:
- The various challenges we are seeing our clients facing in regards to capturing their lease data, particularly around their equipment leases.
We will talk about the 3 phases of lease data capture: (1) initial collection of leases and their data capture, (2) ongoing data capture of lease data until the leasing system Go-Live, and (3) data capture for the leasing system in production.
- What clients are looking for in leasing technology solutions and some of the gaps and challenges they are dealing with in regards to selecting and implementing these solutions.
- How the new lease standard may impact the relationships between lessee and lessor.
- The impacts and opportunities lessees are identifying for Tax.
This topic is important for lessors because it will help them gain a better understanding of:
- The significant work effort lessees are facing to implement the new leasing standard
- Changes lessees may be requesting to maintain compliance easily going forward
- Opportunities that may be available where lessors can provide some assistance to lessees for the new leasing standard
- Awareness of the broader impact than just accounting to lessees.
Speakers:
Craig Schultz
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
John Bober
GE Capital Industrial Finance
Dustin Osgood
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
David Shebay
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Edward Tarka
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Now in its sixteenth year, the Operations & Technology Excellence Award program is designed to recognize noteworthy achievements in operational and technology innovation in our industry. In this session, we will honor this year's award winners and showcase their award winning solutions. Hear from our award winners as they share insights gleaned from their unique project experiences.
Speakers:
Andrew Cotter
Somerset Capital Group, Ltd.
Steve Lankler
CIT Direct Capital
Paul Marcoe
Mintaka Financial/Orion First
Jennifer Martin
Key Equipment Finance
Nick Small
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation
|
5:30 -
6:30 pm |
International and Former Director's Reception |
| 5:30 |
Individual Company-Sponsored
Receptions and Events |
7:00 -
8:15 am |
Group Breakfast |
7:00 am -
3:00 pm |
Registration |
7:00 am -
11:00 am |
Exhibits Open |
8:30 -
10:30 am |
General Session
Chairman's Report and Keynote Address
Speakers:
Tony Cracchiolo
ELFA Chairman
President & CEO
U.S. Bank Equipment Finance
KELLER RINAUDO
Founder and CEO of Zipline
|
9:00 am -
2:30 pm |
Spouse/Companion Event
Wild Florida Airboat Ride and Zoo Tour |
10:30 -
11:00 am |
Break |
11:00 am -
12:30 pm |
Issue Breakout Sessions
The Asset Finance industry is transforming at a rapid clip with technology innovations changing the way people, businesses and institutions access capital. Using technologies of yesterday will not allow equipment finance companies to innovate fast enough risking their customers to turn to others who can met their needs. Adoption of Alternative Finance technologies are not only cheaper in the long run but enable equipment finance company to create and deliver products and/or services quickly and at a profit.
Speakers:
William Wagner
Cloud Lending Solutions
Mukul Mittal
Cloud Lending Solutions
Scott Preiser
Live Oak Bank
Patricia Voorhees
The Alta Group
In this session we will provide an overview of emerging technologies anticipated to have a significant impact on the equipment leasing and financing industry. We will explore the benefits and challenges of these innovative solutions, and how technology may transform the equipment leasing and finance industry over the next several years; particularly, how the customer experience, transaction processing and risk management functions will be affected and whether some core features of the industry's operating model could get lost or at least radically altered by the overlay of a digital infrastructure. We will also discuss how to keep employees fully engaged in their work and ready to deal with changes, special situations and exceptions, to prevent them from losing the cradle-to-the-grave view of a transaction when too many core activities may be outsourced to automation. This topic is important for lessors because it will enable them to learn how to enhance their service offerings and develop efficient managed solutions, as well as to develop sound internal implementation management processes. The presentation will include real world examples that illustrate the potential impacts for lessors of equipment in various industries as well as for their customers. This topic is important for all market participants as these technological advancements, only if properly implemented, will drive competitive advantage, efficiency, growth and changes in the dynamics of an equipment leasing and finance company's vendor and customer relationships.
Speakers:
Christopher Gigliotti
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Kevin Kroen
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Craig Schultz
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Bhushan Sethi
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Andrea Zana
Amur Equipment Finance
Digitally driven innovation in the financial services marketplace is occurring at a speed that is difficult to comprehend, no less implement. No sooner is a technology announced and brought to market, than it is leapfrogged by a newer, faster, better quality alternative. That said, there are a few core innovations that are likely to have a significant, longer-term impact on the financial services markets. These innovations are likely to result in a profound shift from the current state technologies and supporting solutions, and have the potential to transform adopting organizations as they become market-ready. Three of these innovative technologies are: Blockchain (BC), Smart Contracts (SC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). One common theme among them all is that they offer substantial potential benefits to equipment finance providers, their partners and customers. Many members of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association have not been exposed to the emergence of these technologies or their potential benefits. As such, this study is designed to educate users about the technologies, understand the capabilities of each (and them all collectively), create model use cases to demonstrate how they might be utilized in an equipment finance setting and offer suggestions for how they might be considered in a technology roadmap.
Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation Research Featured.
Speaker:
Michael Baez
Capgemini America, Inc.
The "graying of the industry" is a recurring discussion among ELFA members. Some say there aren't enough young people coming into our industry to replace the senior people nearing retirement. Others talk about the need for youthful, tech-savvy workers with a fresh perspective on equipment finance to help drive innovation. The rise of the FinTechs is another recurring discussion among ELFA members. What is the risk that the bright and talented Millennials will go to the FinTechs, leaving the traditional equipment finance industry players to settle for less tech-savvy folks and over time become uncompetitive? The ELFA has previously hosted sessions to discuss topics such as generational compatibility, diversity, corporate culture, technological innovation, mentorship, and recruitment and retention strategies; however, these sessions were all led by senior executives discussing top management perspectives. Our panel is comprised of only millennial generation employees. They will offer candid feedback regarding their experiences. We will discuss how to recruit the best and brightest people to your firm, and how to motivate and retain them. Please join a candid conversation with next generation industry leaders concerning topics important to your company.
Speakers:
Debra Devassy Babu
Askounis & Darcy, PC
Jon Gerson
Executive Solutions for Leasing and Finance, Inc.
Nathan Gibbons, CLFP
First American Equipment Finance, a City National Bank Company
Martin Klotzman
Ivory Consulting Corporation
Kara Miyasato
Stryker Flex Financial
Bill Verhelle
Harvard Partners LLC
|
12:45 -
2:30 pm |
Business Council Steering Committee Luncheons
Speaker:
Kristian Dolan
Tamarack
Industry experts from the technology industry/silicon valley (ebay & 6fusion) and the equipment finance industry will provide real world experiences in the Big Data Journey. What does it mean for Independents to harness data, analyze it and turn it into action? How does it relate to Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning or Blockchain - and simply put, does it even matter to me!? The short answer is…yes it does. The luncheon will focus on the journey equipment finance firms must follow (or start) to realize real business benefits through the harnessing of big data and analytics. The luncheon will encourage member participation in an open environment. Bring your strategic ideas and questions as well as an open mind – our facilitators will provide the thought-provoking questions and real-world examples for further discussion for members to discuss in breakouts at your table. The session will conclude with a collective report out and a call to action for Independents to use their unique position in the marketplace to become a leader on this issue.
Speakers:
Jeff Boots
Capgemini America, Inc.
Richard Donaldson
6fusion
Connie Eimers
Vision Financial Group, Inc.
The Financial Institutions Business Council Steering Committee represents bank-related and other financial institutions (commercial banks, investment banks and multi-line finance companies) engaged in the middle-market and large-ticket sectors. During the luncheon program at the 56th ELFA Annual Convention, the session will begin with an interactive discussion on best practices of bank-owned equipment finance companies led by The Alta Group's CEO, John Deane. The conversation will also encourage attendee participation through a web-based, audience response system. Time will also be reserved for informal networking among peers, something that luncheon attendees look forward to each year.
For more information, please contact Committee Chair, Michael Romanowski (mromanowski@cobank.com) or ELFA Staff Liaison, Julie Benson (jbenson@elfaonline.org).
Speaker:
John Deane
The Alta Group
The Captive and Vendor Finance BCSC represents the constituency group within ELFA that provides vendor financing programs, either as a subsidiary of a manufacturer, an independent third-party or some combination of the two. During its Annual Convention luncheon program, the committee will focus on important economic considerations for Vendor and Captive finance companies: financial reforms, tax law changes and their impact, consumption behavior patterns, demand in certain industries and markets, and prospects for new financing products. For more information, contact Committee Chair Mike Sweeney (michael.sweeney@everbank.com) or ELFA staff liaison Bill Choi (BChoi@elfaonline.org).
Speaker:
Jeff Jensen
Keybridge Research, LLC
How to Become a Social Media Rock Star Social media is the best means ever invented to grow both your personal reputation as well as that of your company or firm. Where and how should you spend your time, though? Which platforms? What kind of content? In this session, Spencer X Smith will share what works for both himself and his clients around the country, and you'll learn both how-to tactics and strategy via Spencer's Personal Branding Power Hour. Spencer Smith is the founder of spencerXsmith.com, a faculty member for the State Bar of Wisconsin's Business of Law Conferences, and an instructor at the University of Wisconsin, where he teaches classes on Social Media Marketing & Strategy. He specializes in providing actionable social media training to enhance business development activities, and only teaches what he's first proven to work for himself.
Speaker:
Spencer X. Smith
spencerXsmith.com
|
2:30 -
4:30 pm |
Break |
3:00 -
4:30 pm |
Issue Breakout Sessions
When considering the rapid pace of change and implications of technology advances going on all around us, it is not difficult to imagine that the world will function quite differently 10 to 15 years from now. As leaders, preparation to navigate the transition to this future begins with awareness of exponential technology trends and understanding the potential impacts and opportunities for our companies and our customers.
Fire up your creativity and join us for an engaging and thought-provoking conversation about technology innovation and how it will impact the future of our industry. Leveraging content and highlights from the 2017 IFC report, this interactive session expands the dialogue about the future of our industry inviting you into the conversation.
Through interactive facilitated discussion and guided activities, we encourage open discussion of challenges, concerns, ideas, and imagined futures.
Speakers:
Deborah Reuben
Reuben Creative, LLC
Andrew Cotter
Somerset Capital Group, Ltd.
Daniel Nelson
Tamarack
Melissa Orsburne
International Decision Systems
Tawnya Stone
GreatAmerica Financial Services
This session is an imperative if you are a financial services professional thinking about how technology will shape the future state of our financial system and financial services providers. Blockchain will potentially change everything we know about our industry: disrupt our systems, create a new age of transparency, reduce fraud, increase transaction speed & fluidity, and impact employment. The content will cover the digital opportunity that lies ahead for our industry and the drivers behind the changes required to capture this opportunity. We will also discuss implications and outcomes if financial services industry do not embrace and promulgate distributed ledger technologies. One viewpoint is that Blockchain will do to the financial system what the Internet has done to Media. The content will convey an understanding of what Blockchain is and how it works in very simple terms. We will also review use cases, and industry peers currently investing in Blockchain R&D. Some of the largest global Financial service players are conducting R&D with this technology given the threat of disintermediation. Finally, we will discuss how this technology is not just for large firms. Companies of all sizes can become part of a blockchain ecosystem.
Speaker:
Wayne Super
Cisco Systems Capital Corporation
In this session, our panel will offer a preview of the key tax policy issues facing the Trump Administration and Congress in 2017, including the outlook for tax reform, deficit reduction measures and business tax provisions that expired at the end of 2016 or will expire at the end of 2017 as well as provide insights on how the various proposals might impact the equipment leasing and finance industry. This topic is important because the composition of tax reforms currently proposed may inevitably affect the pricing of transactions that rely on the tax benefits for both new and existing transactions, and the lease-versus-own decisions often made by lessees will also be affected. This topic will help the equipment leasing and finance industry develop plans to adapt and prepare for future tax law changes. In addition, equipment leasing and finance companies continue to face challenges related to "creeping consumerism" as state and federal regulators seek to expand their oversight of the industry. The panel will address current trends in legislation and enforcement in this regard, including the latest developments related to Section 1071 data collection requirements under the Dodd-Frank Act.
Speakers:
Andy Fishburn
Equipment Leasing & Finance Association
Randa Barsoum
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Andrew Prior
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Craig Schultz
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC
Joseph Sebik
Siemens Financial Services, Inc.
Moorari Shah
BuckleySandler LLP
|
6:30 -
9:30 pm |
Closing Party
|
