How asset finance can power SME recovery and growth in 2021 and beyond
If the global Coronavirus pandemic were to have a single lesson, it would be the importance of preparing for the unexpected; now, as the global economy restarts, the door is opening on a much-changed world, offering new opportunities, but also new risks.
As businesses begin to build a path to growth in this uncertain environment, asset finance will play a critical role in powering investment and enabling rapid deployment of assets that will underpin future profitability. But the recovery is likely to be uneven, with economic performance differing between nations, industry sectors and individual companies.
The webinar will bring together leading figures from the European asset finance industry to review what the road to recovery holds for leasing, assess the differing outlook across Europe and answer the question: how can the leasing community best support SMEs and empower recovery?
Presented by
Pascal Layan,
Deputy CEO, BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions
Pascal Layan, Deputy CEO and the Head of the International Business Lines, is part of the General Management Committee and BNP Paribas Leasing solutions, with responsibility for Equipment & Logistics Solutions (ELS), Technology Solutions (TS) and Bank Leasing Services (BLS) International Business Lines, and the Marketing and Consulting activities. From 1990 to 2000, he held several managerial responsibilities within BNP Paribas entities specialising in Vendor Finance (BNP Lease, Crédit Universel), before becoming Sales Director TS France of BNP Paribas Lease Group between 2000 and 2005. Pascal Layan was then appointed as Sales Director of Technology Solutions IBL. In 2008, he took up responsibility as Managing Director of BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions in Portugal. He was then appointed Head of Marketing & Solutions for the specialised IBLs in 2011 and then, in 2012, he was named Head of the Equipment & Logistics Solutions IBL, Board Member of CNHi Capital Europe and Claas Financial.
Odile de Saivre,
Deputy Chief Executive Office, Societe Generale Equipment Finance
Odile de Saivre joined Societe Generale in 1997 in the Equity Capital Market team within Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking (SG CIB). She spent most of her career in SG CIB, notably in the Strategic and Acquisition Finance department as well as in Asset Based Finance. In 2010, she headed the Global Finance team in charge of credit risk monitoring before moving to Russia as Deputy Head of Rosbank’s Corporate Lending Department. In 2015, she was in charge of the Project Export Finance team within Global Finance’s Export Finance business line. She is Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Societe Generale Equipment Finance since 2017. She holds a degree from Ecole Centrale Paris.
Nick Leader,
CEO, Acquis
Nick Leader has been providing insurance products and services to the leasing industry for over 20 years. Nick begun his career in the insurance industry at Great American where he worked across numerous functions of the business, including Claims, Client Management and Product Management, eventually becoming European Underwriting Manager. Nick joined Acquis in January 2011 as Business Development Manager and was promoted to the Board of Directors two years later. Nick was appointed CEO in 2018 and led a management buyout of Acquis which successfully concluded in June 2019.
John Bennett,
Former chair of Leaseurope
John Bennett has over 35 years’ experience in key sectors of the leasing and asset finance market – including big ticket, vendor, middle market, sales aid and operating leasing. He has previously held board level positions with UK leasing subsidiaries of RBS and Chase Manhattan Bank. John was a board member of the UK’s Finance & Leasing Association from 2005 to 2010, and a board member of Leaseurope between 2004 and 2010, and chairman between 2007 and 2008. Following retirement, John assumed an interim role as managing director of Hitachi Capital Business Finance until October 2012.
