One of the objectives of Leasing Avenues is to bring you casually, up close, and personal video interviews with fascinating people in our industry (or outside) that through sheer force of will, passion, and intellect, defied the status quo and created something new!  Kirk’s story is inspiring, that it can be done!

Part 1:  Introduction to Kirk Phillips, CEO of Wintrust Commercial Finance

Kirk describes his circuitous path to entering the equipment leasing and finance industry.

Part 2: Genesis of Wintrust Commercial Finance

The path to Wintrust.  In 2014, Kirk and his team saw an opportune market and developed a model/business plan to start a business that addressed the opportunity.  Five years from a dead start, Kirk and his team of 49 (half of which are sales) are projecting ending 2020 with over a Billion in assets and originating over $700 Million.

Part 3:  From Vision to Reality

Kirk expands a small footprint bank (Chicagoland) nationally serving middle-market mid-large ticket to small ticket platform.  Some things were envisioned originally by Kirk, while others were expansionary opportunities that presented themselves.

Part 4: Key Takeaways From The Journey

Kirk and his team took 32 swings to connect finally.  While that is not the definition of “success” in baseball, it sure was in Kirk’s case. What did it take to get there, and were there doubts?

Peter is an expert in geopolitics, a prescient sage, albeit young, who has an uncanny way of simplifying the seemingly complex and sometimes insane world we live in.  He answers the questions of “where is this or that country going in the near future?”

Part 1:  Introduction to Peter Zeihan

Peter provides some context for his new book “Disunited Nations”

Part 2:  Future of Europe’s Social Democracies

What is the fate of most of Europe’s social democracies and why do you think young people in the US seem to be attracted to a geriatric socialist running for President?

Part 3:  Future of the many paranoid governing countries

What is prognosis for the thugitarian regimes like Iran, China, Russia, etc…?

Part 4: Coronavirus – Precursor to what is to come for China?

As always, Peter has an interesting take on this topic that everyone should find fascinating and surprising.

Part 5: Is there anything positive to live for? LOL

Ok so bottom line how F’d are we and what does that mean for us, our children and theirs?

Part 6: Peter’s writing and speaking style and how to keep abreast of his periodic commentaries.

You can subscribe to Peter’s periodic newsletter commentaries free at his website  https://zeihan.com/newsletter/

or on Twitter @PeterZeihan

or on Instagram #PeterZeihan

One of the objectives of Leasing Avenues is to bring you real-time interviews with fascinating people that through sheer force of will, passion and intellect defy the status quo and create something new!  Arnaldo Rodriguez is one of those people.  Arnaldo dramatically expanded the FMV technology leasing market into Mexico and throughout almost all of Latin America.

Part 1:  Introduction to Arnaldo Rodriguez, President of CSI Leasing

Arnaldo provides us with a prelude to how this whole thing started in the first place, from a US business start to Mexico.

Part 2:  State of FMV leasing in Mexico

Part 3:  After Mexico?

Part 4: Challenges along the way & Conclusion

This video series is about how technology is remaking the historically fractured market of repossession services.  Technology in this series is more of an overriding term for several capabilities that have come of age from the conceptual drawing board to tangible, useful, and paradigm changing applications.  The use of this technology was paramount to moving what has traditionally been an industry of many small regional repossession companies into an industrial strength set of capabilities that allow a participant to scale dramatically.

Michael Levison, CEO – Introduction

Michael talks about its genesis from the typical small family-owned repossession company to a national force operating at scale.

Part 1: Compliance played a pivotal role for technology advancement of skip trace & repossession capabilities 

Some of the technology was a requirement to comply while other technologies like big data, data mining, and AI was a requirement to achieve scale. Real-time data communication, however, is required to reduce the potential for “wrongful repossession” and you cannot afford to screw that up!

Part 2: Is it data mining or artificial intelligence?

Michael discusses the use of big data and data mining tools to find linkages in diverse data sets that only these tools can provide in providing actionable data to find missing assets. Michael also discusses the impact of GPS data (again, yet another separate data source).

Part 3: License plate recognition technology

Michael discusses what LPR technology is, how it works as well as the hundreds of millions of new scans each month it adds to an already enormous database from which to mine and amalgamate with other data to increase the likelihood of finding vehicles.

Part 4: Conclusion & what’s next!

Michael discusses what he sees as the next big thing. As opposed to entirely new technologies, Michael feels that improvements in data mining and AI will be the most impactful.

This video series is a must for banks wanting to add a significant commercial asset generation business and specifically, doing so by starting an Equipment leasing and finance lending vertical.  Harry Kaplun, who very recently retired as President of Frost Bank Equipment Finance, has deep expertise in green-fielding the business at a 150-year-old Texas-based bank. Harry describes what works, what does not work, and some of the pitfalls along the way.  Bob and Harry discuss the national vs. footprint models as well as middle and large ticket sectors vs. small ticket (small business).  Harry has been there and seen it all.  Harry has also been a longtime contributor of time, talent, and treasure to the Equipment Leasing & Finance Association.  It was Harry’s idea to create the ELFA Guest Lecture Program to evangelize the industry at colleges and universities across the USA.

Harry Kaplun – Introduction

Part 1: A discussion around equipment leasing & finance banking models

Harry and Bob discuss the two types of models for a bank equipment leasing and finance business unit.

Part 2: A discussion around equipment leasing & finance banking models

Harry discusses the “characteristics of success.”  One such requirement is a well thought out strategic approach with buy-in with all stakeholders at the bank.

Challenges to starting a new bank leasing & finance model

Harry discusses a couple of the more significant challenges, such as the need for transaction speed and receptivity to change.

Addressing the Cost of entry concern

One false perception by the bank is usually that the cost of entry will be high, but the reality can be very different.  Understanding the banking metric of efficiency ratio is a must.

The role of the bank’s CEO and culture

How does a bank usually get started in entering the equipment leasing & finance business?  The role of the Bank CEO, which is where the impetus all must begin, has to build consensus across the bank executive team.  Harry discusses the two models of “footprint” vs. “national approach.”  Assessing whether the bank’s culture can tolerate the change requires objective and frankly brutal honesty.