What’s happening in the service provider sector of the equipment finance space? Equipment Leasing & Finance magazine caught up with Jeff Bilbrey, CEO of Leasepath, to find out. Bilbrey is Chair of the Service Provider Business Council Steering Committee (BCSC), which is composed of a diverse mix of industry specialists who provide a variety of services to the members of the other four Business Councils.
What are some of the most pressing topics for ELFA service provider members this year?
We talk a lot about relevancy in a time of big change. The Service Provider BCSC is a great place for the many different types of service providers to collaborate on bringing the best services to the industry, and we’re always trying to learn from our joint customers—the funders—what they are most interested in. This has been done with surveys in the past, and then the survey helps indicate interest in the webinars and papers we produce. However, nobody wants “another survey” and we have decided to go in a different direction this year, instead asking the funders from within the other BCSC(s) what they are interested in. Our willingness to change by seeking new and higher-touch approaches is helping us determine the best ways to provide new insights, webinars and data to the ELFA community.
Service Provider BCSC meeting in Washington, D.C., in May.
How did you get involved with the BCSC? Would you recommend it to others?
When I was new in the industry, a customer CEO suggested I get involved in the industry through industry committees. Of course, I didn’t do it right away (hindsight: bad move!). But the thought stuck with me, and eventually, I jumped in. With ELFA, the Service Provider Council was a great fit, and I loved it because I quickly found out I was collaborating with a lot of old friends and meeting new ones. I think some people have initial trepidation about spending time on non-core responsibilities, but my advice is to put that aside and devote time to your industry, which is an investment in yourself and your business.
What is the Service Provider BCSC focused on this year?
It’s exciting to be a servant leader (facilitator, really) to this energetic group of friends around the industry, and we have a lot going on. We meet to address industry topics and then plan communication or information sharing. Anyone interested in our BCSC can look forward to working on subcommittees with the following opportunities:
- Webinar(s) to give perspectives on industry topics of the day
- Podcast to do a deeper dive on some topics
- Industry updates and knowledge sharing within our monthly meetings
- Capitol Connections participation at the annual Washington, DC event
- Membership drives and offering time to answer questions of prospective service provider members
- Opportunities to deliver the Foundation’s Campus to Career presentations (formerly known as Guest Lectures) at local universities
- Making new friends!
Working across the industry with a group of smart, dedicated peers is rewarding and fulfilling, and we once again this year have an amazing group of people on the Service Provider BCSC.
Vote in the BCSC Elections
We encourage your participation in the BCSC elections. Nominations for the five BCSCs (Bank, Captive and Vendor Finance, Independent, Service Provider and Small Ticket) are accepted through July 26. Voting will take place Sept. 10–27. Find details at www.elfaonline.org/BCSCElections or contact Ed Rosen at [email protected]
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