Location: Penrose 2, LL1

Get ready to team up for a high-energy, feel-good activity that blends learning, laughter, and community impact. In this fun twist on “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?”, you’ll compete in teams while assembling STE(A)M Backpack Kits for kids ages 5–10. Each kit supports hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math learning for students at a local charter school and after-school program. Spark curiosity, inspire young minds, and walk away knowing your team made a real difference.

This event is offered for attendees of both conferences. Select your interest in participating during the registration process.

Supported by:

Location: Denver Ballroom 3-6

Presented by Sharon Schneider
Philanthropy advisor, impact strategist, entrepreneur, and author of Handbook for an Integrated Life

In the demanding world of accounting and finance, it’s easy to focus on performance, compliance, and technical precision—while losing touch with the deeper values that guide our decisions and careers.

In this insightful session, Sharon Schneider draws from her work advising philanthropists, family offices, and socially conscious businesses to explore what it means to live and work in alignment with your values. As a parent, entrepreneur, and strategist who’s helped deploy over $1.5 billion in philanthropic capital, Sharon brings both professional insight and personal authenticity to the conversation.

She’ll walk us through the 7 principles of an integrated life, offering practical tools to:

• Align everyday decisions—at work and at home—with your core values
• Navigate leadership and technical roles without losing a sense of purpose
• Cultivate integrity, empathy, and balance in a high-performance culture

This session is especially relevant to finance professionals navigating complex responsibilities who want to build not just a career, but a life of meaningful impact.

Soft Skills Roundtable

Professional success in our industry is more than just what you do, it’s just as critical how you do it. As information technologies continue to advance and access to expert knowledge increases, it is the ability to master the often neglected soft skills that will distinguish each one of us professionally. In this session, you will have an opportunity to discuss, share and learn from your peers how to better leverage soft skills such as communication, judgment, empathy,  leadership, and overall interactive engagement to increase the impact you can have on your organization and career.

Jay Wilensky, Sasser Family Companies

Location: Colorado A-F

In this mainstage talk, Chelsey Barron, Innovation Committee Chair, introduces the NEW Innovation Lab Conference & Exhibition and all the exciting things that await you this week. We will then hear from ELFA CEO & President, Leigh Lytle and Ritchie Cotton, Chief Technology Officer at Valiant for a lively fireside chat covering the 5-part AI webinar series that just wrapped supporting the Innovation Experience and Ritchie’s really interesting perspectives on how AI is going to impact credit bureaus, risk management and other areas. This is a “Can’t Miss” conversation!

Chelsey Barron
Chair, ELFA Innovation Committee
LEAF Commercial Capital Inc.

Leigh Lytle
CEO & President
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association

Ritchie Cotton
Chief Technology Officer
Valiant

Rounding out this energetic start to our conference is Safi Bahcall.

Safi is a former public-company CEO, physicist, award-winning entrepreneur, author of the international bestseller Loonshots, and advisor on innovation and strategy.

Five Rules for Innovating in Turbulent Times
Many companies struggle to adapt to rapidly changing markets: the core dominates the new, projects linger too long, and innovation theater proliferates. The apex innovators who avoid these traps and dominate their industry focus on structure not just culture. They build a system to run experiments at pace and scale without sacrificing excellence in their core franchise. Using surprising and entertaining examples from Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, Harley-Davidson, Lego, and the US military, Safi describes five rules you can use to build this system and become the initiator rather than the victim of innovative surprise.

Sponsored by:

Location: Denver 3-6

Robert Kruger, Huntington National Bank
Joseph Sebik, Siemens Financial Services, Inc.

Location: Denver 1-2

In this session we will discuss the accounting guidance that should be applied by financial statement preparers when evaluating whether a contractual arrangement is or contains a lease. This session will take a practical approach to covering the technical accounting that should be considered when assessing whether a lease is present in an arrangement and will include a discussion of examples that may be encountered in practice.

Matt Derba, CohnReznick Advisory LLC

Location: Denver 3-6

Following a brief introduction, participants will divide into three breakout groups (banks, captives and independents) and have the opportunity to discuss current trends, challenges, and future opportunities within their lending group.   This interactive session will allow attendees to collaborate with their peers on topics impacting Finance and Accounting professionals today:  Technological Advancements (AI), New Financing Products, Technical Accounting Application, etc.  Attendees will benefit from interacting with others from similar organizations not only from a finance and accounting standpoint, but also from a business development perspective.

Jeff Lezinski, Odessa

Location: Colorado Ballroom Foyer

All attendees of both conferences are invited to connect and unwind at this fantastic reception.

Exhibit tables will be open and you will have some time to stop by and chat. Lite fare will be served with an open bar. This event is included with all conference registrations. 

Location: The Loft

Is this your first ELFA conference? Come meet fellow First Timers and the conference planning committees at this reception especially for First Time Attendees. 

Sponsored by:

This event will be held at Wynkoop Brewery within walking distance of the hotel. Get out and see a little of Denver on your way to a fun evening! Food and beverages will be available. Meet in the hotel lobby to walk as a group at 6:45pm.

Transportation will be provided for those who may need assistance. 

Location: Colorado A-F

On the mainstage, Jay Wilensky, Lease Accounting and Finance Committee Chair, introduces the Lease Accounting and Finance Conference. We will then hear from ELFA COO, Daryl Muller, on how ELFA’s momentum is fueling measurable progress and positioning the association for sustained growth and innovation.

Daryl Muller
COO
Equipment Leasing and Finance Association

We will then hear from economist, Tim Mahedy with a 2025 into 2026 economic outlook. Tim Mahedy is the founder of Access/Macro, a macroeconomic consulting firm delivering actionable insights to financial institutions and businesses. With experience at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, KPMG, Bloomberg, and the IMF, Tim has advised Fortune 500 leaders and policymakers alike. Known for making complex economic trends accessible and relevant, Tim specializes in inflation, monetary policy, and strategic forecasting. At this year's event, he'll provide a forward-looking view of the 2025-2026 economic outlook and what it means for your business.

Location: Denver 3-6

This session examines tax lease pricing and illustrates how pricing can change due to changes in pricing parameters, such as the method of tax depreciation applicable.

Joe Sebik, Siemens Financial Services, Inc.
Edmund Wong, Ivory Consulting Corporation

Location: Saratoga

This session will provide thoughts and perspectives about the ‘Day 1’ lease accounting considerations for equipment leasing arrangements from a lessor standpoint. The primary focus will be accounting considerations and hot topics related to:

1. Lease identification,
2. Contracts containing multiple components, and
3. Assessing lease classification.

In addition, the session will provide an overview of other lessor considerations including the application of contract combination guidance, accounting for master lease agreements, and lessor disclosure requirements.  

Therese Babiash, GATX Corporation
Marc Jerusalem, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Tim Kolber, Deloitte

Location: Denver 3-6

Mike Bozarth, Deloitte
Robert LaPorta, Deloitte
Nick Vitanza, Deloitte
Joe Sebik, Siemens Financial Services, Inc.

Location: Platte, Penrose, Independence LL1

All conference attendees are invited to enjoy a lively joint lunch—served across multiple meeting rooms to spark new conversations and connections. Choose your room, grab a seat, and dig into great food while networking with fellow attendees from both conferences.

Location: Denver 1-2

This session will provide an opportunity for CFOs, Controllers, and senior level management to engage in a peer led discussion covering current market and economic trends, talent development, and other organizational matters.

Daniel Court, Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
Himanshu Saxena, Wells Fargo Equipment Finance
Jay Wilensky, Sasser Family Companies

Location: Denver 3-6

Mike Bozarth, Deloitte
Robert LaPorta, Deloitte
Nick Vitanza, Deloitte
Joe Sebik, Siemens Financial Services, Inc.

Location: Denver 3-6

Join Susan Cosper (FASB board member) and Bob Uhl (IASB board member) for a joint update on the latest developments in US GAAP and IFRS, moderated by Committee chair Jay Wilensky. The session will highlight each Board’s technical and research agendas, including ongoing post-implementation reviews of leases (ASC 842, IFRS 16), new projects on software costs, government grants, environmental credits, and intangibles, and upcoming standards such as IFRS 18 and IFRS 19.

Moderated discussion will explore where the Boards’ priorities converge, how they balance investor and preparer perspectives, and what emerging issues — from climate disclosures to digital assets — may shape the next five years of financial reporting. Attendees will gain insight into standard-setting processes and practical implications for preparers, auditors, and users of financial statements.

Susan Cosper, Board Member, FASB
Bob Uhl, Board Member, IASB
Jay Wilensky, Sasser Family Companies

Location: Denver 3-6

This session will provide thoughts and perspectives about the ‘Day 2’ lease accounting considerations for equipment leasing arrangements from a lessor standpoint. The primary focus will be accounting considerations and hot topics related to:

1. Lease term and purchase options,
2. Llease modifications, and
3. Impairment considerations.

In addition, the session will include illustrative examples of the principles discussed.   

Therese Babiash, GATX Corporation
Marc Jerusalem, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Tim Kolber, Deloitte 

Location: Denver 1-2

Mike Bozarth, Deloitte
Robert LaPorta, Deloitte
Nick Vitanza, Deloitte
Joe Sebik, Siemens Financial Services, Inc.

Location: Colorado Ballroom Foyer

Join your fellow conference attendees for an evening reception. This is a great time to mingle and chat with the fantastic exhibitors attending the conference!

Location: Colorado Ballroom Foyer

Be sure to take some time to visit with our fantastic exhibitors. Booths will be closing at 10:00 am.

Location: Colorado G-H

Equipment financing models continue to evolve, introducing complexity while raising questions about the accounting for and management of these types of asset portfolios. This session will describe the types of transactions being seen in the marketplace, including: (1) equipment sale-leaseback transactions, (2) structured three-party agreements, (3) traditional equipment financing arrangements, and (3) equipment leases. The primary focus will be accounting, operational, and control-related considerations for these types of transactions.

Tim Kolber, Deloitte
George Krusen, Oakmont Capital Services
Jason Georgoulakis, Sasser Family Companies
Rick Thompson, Bank of America Global Leasing

Location: Colorado I-J

In this session we will discuss the US GAAP accounting implications of capital markets activities such as securitizations and syndications, both from the perspective of capital providers as well as the recipients of capital investments. This session will encompass a high-level overview of the various accounting models that could apply to selected financing structures.

Matt Esposito, Grant Thornton LLP
Ryan Steel, DLL

Location: Colorado G-H

This session explores how CECL applies to equipment leasing, with a focus on credit loss accounting for lease receivables. It will also touch on how lessors can approach residual risk in operating leases, offering a well-rounded view of accounting for loss recognition.

Charlie Shannon, Moss Adams now Baker Tilly
Brian White, John Deere Financial

Location: Penrose 1-2, LL1

After more than two and a half days of operational and accounting discussion at this conference, there may be a number of open questions that participants have on their minds. This session will provide conference attendees the opportunity to ask the accounting firm professionals their lingering questions about the application of the accounting standards and related requirements that were discussed during the conference (e.g., lease accounting, sale-leaseback, CECL).

Matt Esposito, Grant Thornton LLP
Tim Kolber, Deloitte
Michael Nesta, KPMG LLP
Jeff Lezinski, Odessa
Marc Jerusalem, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP