When did you first join the equipment finance industry and what has been the trajectory of your career?

I joined AP Equipment Financing in 2004, which was my first job out of college. I am one of the rare ones that have been with the same company for their entire career, but we have changed our business model several times over the years, so it feels I have been part of building several different startups, which has kept it exciting. I was the 9th employee and started out as a credit analyst but being part of a small group, I was exposed to several parts of the business. During the first 7 years, outside of underwriting, I managed a few indirect accounts, created and programmed documentation, helped build out SQL queries for our portfolio reporting, and developed workflows in our CRM. Over the next 5 years I oversaw credit/risk as the VP of Credit and Chief Risk Officer and started and managed our syndication desk. In 2015, I joined the board of directors of AP and was instrumental in developing the strategy and vision as AP prepared for the next chapter and sold the company in 2019. In 2021, I transitioned into my current role as President.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your own professional development? How did you overcome it?

Like many others, early in my career I struggled being a confident public speaker. I was great one-on-one or in a small informal group setting but very uneasy in larger, more formal settings. The first industry conference I attended (I believe it was the NAELB in 2008 or 2009) I was tasked with filling in last minute as a speaker on a panel. I was already a bit nervous attending my first conference but also having my first real public speaking engagement made me very nervous, but I was up for the challenge. It was a topic (credit) I knew well but I overprepared and got in my own head the day leading up to the panel and did not do as well as I expected. That experience made me less confident in my ability to confidently speak in a crowd. To help overcome my fear of public speaking I sought advice from other industry leaders I met through the associations such as the ELFA. The advice that resonated was to continue to volunteer on panels, company speaking events, etc. even if it was uneasy to gain experience and confidence. I continued to push myself to gain more experience and over time became increasingly confident where today I actually look forward to speaking in front of bigger groups. Don’t be afraid to confide in your experienced industry peers to help overcome your weaknesses!

When did you first get involved with ELFA and how have you been engaged as a member thus far? How has being in ELFA helped your career?

Soon after I started AP’s syndication division in 2012, I attended my first ELFA funding conference in Chicago. Prior to this show we were only working with one bank partner, and I did not know a lot of players on the buy side. I came away with several contacts and within 6 months of the show had partnered with two other funding sources and had met several other key small ticket buyers. I have attended the funding conference every year since along with the annual conference and have served on the ELFA Small Ticket Steering Council and the Membership Committee. The committees were a great way to network with other influential peers and discuss current trends impacting the industry.

What is the most rewarding risk of your career?

Looking back on my career at AP, I think the biggest risk would be staying with the company and industry after the financial crisis in 2008-2009. Like many other small independent finance companies, AP cut staff and contemplated closing operations as bank lines dried up. I seriously considered leaving AP and getting out of the industry but after speaking with friends and family and after some self-reflection, I decided to stick with it and saw it as an opportunity for me to play a material role in rebuilding the company. I had a lot of respect and trust in Chris Enbom’s (CEO and founder) leadership and thought if I can be an instrumental part of the rebuild it would help boost my career trajectory. It took some time, but we did come out of this challenging time with a more resilient business model and experienced significant growth. Being part of this difficult chapter at AP helped speed up my career trajectory.

How do you keep your team motivated despite conflicts and obstacles that you come across?

As a leader, it’s important to stay positive, especially during challenging times. Leaders set the emotional tone for their teams and staying calm, positive, and solution-oriented helps others do the same. I also think it’s important to not be dismissive of your team’s stresses, fears or challenges. Show empathy and support and try to check in when you can on a personal level. Lastly, I would say transparent and honest communication is crucial. Regular and honest communication reduces anxiety, keeps others from making the wrong assumptions and builds trust.

If you had to pick one, which is more important when considering a hire—a soft or technical background? You can’t pick both, and please include which soft or technical skill is most beneficial to success.

In our industry, if I had to choose one, I would say having strong soft skills is more important for most positions. There are a few highly technical roles in our company such as data analyst, app developer, and financial analyst I would say soft skills are less important but for most roles you want someone who can be a team player, has solid communications skills, has solid emotional IQ and can easily relate to others and can adequately respond to challenges. This is especially important for those in management roles. Our industry is still highly dependent on solid human relationships.

What advice would you give to someone entering the industry?

Be proactive in building relationships (internally and externally), be open minded and willing to learn, and get involved in the industry associations such as the ELFA.

How do you envision the future of your industry, and what steps are you taking—through team culture, personal growth, and mentoring others—to help shape that vision?”

Technology is quickly changing the landscape and the way finance companies operate. It’s even more crucial today to develop a culture that is innovative and open to change as finance companies become more technology companies, especially in small ticket. Don’t be complacent with technology!