Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , Andrew Pace sits down with Chad Sluss, CEO of the National Equipment Finance Association (NEFA), to get an honest read on where the industry stands and where one of its most important associations is headed next. Chad came into the NEFA role in September 2020, stepping into a job where the core value propositio...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , Andrew Pace sits down with Erik Anderson, Chief Credit Officer at Northland Capital, to explore how disciplined credit strategy, strong relationships, and continuous evolution have fueled long-term growth. Erik shares his unconventional path into equipment finance, starting as a credit analyst during the 2008 finan...

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace sits down with Jeffry Elliott, CEO of Elevex Capital, to explore the structural shifts reshaping the equipment finance industry. After decades inside large bank environments, Jeffry shares why regional banks are increasingly focused on deposit-driven lending and how that shift is forcing them to pull back from transactional finance, includ...

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace sits down with Erik Eddington, COO of CH Brown Equipment Finance, to discuss how operational discipline, culture, and speed can drive meaningful performance gains. Coming from a background in commercial and agricultural banking, Erik shares what it was like stepping into equipment finance with a fresh perspective and how that outsider lens...

In this special one-year anniversary episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace steps out of the host seat and into the guest role to reflect on what the podcast has uncovered over its first year. Drawing from more than 20 conversations with lenders, lessors, and industry leaders, Andrew shares the common challenges that surfaced across the industry, including portfolio stress, misalignmen...

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace sits down with Deborah Reuben, CLFP, innovation strategist, CEO and Founder of TomorrowZone®, and author of Enter the TomorrowZone , to explore how leaders can move beyond reactive decision-making and design future-ready organizations. Deborah shares how the conversation around innovation has shifted from why it matters to how to actually...

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace sits down with Mark Musumeci, Director of Risk Operations at Volvo Financial Services USA, to explore how captive finance organizations navigate risk, relationships, and performance through challenging market cycles. Mark shares how Volvo Financial Services balances supporting OEM partners with maintaining a healthy portfolio, and why rela...

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace sits down with Reid Raykovich, CEO of the Certified Lease & Finance Professional (CLFP) Foundation, to explore how education, ethics, and professional standards are shaping the future of equipment finance. Reid shares the remarkable story of how the CLFP Foundation evolved from a struggling organization with limited resources into the...

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace sits down with Ron Elwood, Senior Vice President at Navitas Credit, to explore what it takes to build and sustain a leading third-party origination platform in today’s competitive equipment finance market. With more than 25 years of industry experience — starting in credit underwriting and rising to executive leadership — Ron shares how Na...

In this episode of ACS Portfolio Perspective, Andrew Pace sits down with Paul Fogle, Managing Director of Quality Equipment Finance and Immediate Past President of NEFA, to unpack the real work behind building and rebuilding an independent equipment finance platform. Paul shares how Quality scaled from $20M to $240M, what the prolonged over-the-road trucking downturn taught the industry, and how “...

Dan Krajewski has helped scale some of the largest platforms in equipment finance. In this episode, he joins ACS’s Andrew Pace to share the playbook for building sustainable growth — including MAZO Capital’s transformation from a discounter to a full-service, balance sheet lender. With more than 40 years in the industry, Dan breaks down what it takes to raise capital, build infrastructure, and gro...

In this episode, Saurin Shah shares his entrepreneurial journey from GE Capital to building and scaling two successful equipment finance platforms — Nations Equipment Finance and now MidCap Equipment Finance. Hosted by Andrew Pace, Chief Client Experience Officer at ACS, the conversation covers risk management, platform growth, team-building, credit discipline, and lessons from past cycles. Saurin...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , Andrew Pace sits down with Hollis Bufferd, CEO of Star Hill Financial, for a dynamic conversation about growth, resilience, and inclusion in the equipment finance space. From building a minority-certified business to navigating market headwinds with adaptability and discipline, Hollis shares what it takes to scale...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , host Andrew Pace welcomes Kip Amstutz, President of 360 Equipment Finance. From launching his first business with a promissory note from his father to building a nationwide finance company with a disciplined approach to subprime lending, Kip shares the real-world strategies that have shaped his success. They explor...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , Andrew Pace sits down with Rob Ceribelli of Channel to unpack what it takes to scale a financial services company—from leading through a private equity exit to building out infrastructure that supports sustainable growth. Rob shares candid insights into strategic leadership, risk modeling, portfolio expansion, and...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective , Andrew Pace welcomes Jim Ryan, Sales Manager at Sandhills Global, to unpack the current realities of equipment valuation, auction trends, and retail-first remarketing strategies. With oversight of all auction products and financial customer relationships at Sandhills, Jim brings an unmatched view into market cycles, recovery tactics, and the role of AI an...

John Gougeon didn’t just step into leadership at Unifi—he opened the gates for a high-performance team to run. In this episode, John joins Andrew Pace for a candid conversation about leading through transition, building a growth engine without sacrificing credit quality, and navigating today’s market with clarity, caution, and consistency. From transitioning away from tranche business to tightenin...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , Andrew welcomes Justin Pavek, Chief Credit Officer at Wallwork Financial. From his time in the Army to leading credit strategy at a fourth-generation finance company, Justin shares how long-term thinking, technology integration, and relationship-driven lending are helping Wallwork thrive—even in one of the most vol...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , host Andrew Pace welcomes Donna Yanuzzi, Executive Vice President at 1st Equipment Finance and recipient of the ELFA’s 2024 Michael J. Fleming Distinguished Service Award. With nearly 30 years of industry experience, Donna unpacks the leadership principles, market foresight, and people-first mindset that have shape...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , host Andrew Pace sits down with Nick Coscia, ASA Equipment Manager at DLL, to explore how the role of asset managers is expanding amid evolving economic, technological, and sustainability trends. From using AI to streamline operations to navigating volatility in the secondary market, Nick offers practical insights...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity, host Andrew Pace welcomes Kit West, a Wyoming-based business development leader with a deep entrepreneurial background and a national view of broker success. Together they explore how CH Brown grew originations during industry slowdowns, why relationships trump rates, and how proactive support can drive loyalty—even...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , host Andrew Pace sits down with RJ Grimshaw, CEO of The AI CEO and former CEO of Unifi Equipment Finance. RJ shares his unique journey from leading high-growth finance teams to helping businesses embrace AI with a human-first approach. From demystifying AI adoption to empowering teams through intrapreneurship, RJ o...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , Andrew Pace sits down with Mike Peplinski, Vice President at Harding Brooks Insurance Agency, to unpack key legal and insurance challenges in today’s asset recovery space. As litigation pressure continues to rise, Mike provides actionable guidance for lenders, agents, and service providers on how to manage risk, pr...

In this episode of Portfolio Perspective: Managing Risk & Seizing Opportunity , Andrew Pace sits down with Dominick Cevet, CLFP, Assistant Vice President of Portfolio Management at Auxilior Capital Partners. Dominick shares how Auxilior has scaled from startup to over $2 billion in assets in just four years — leveraging deep vendor partnerships, independent decision-making, portfolio diversifi...

ACS CFO and CIO Greg Meyer joins host Andrew Pace for a deep dive into the operational backbone of modern recovery and collections. With nearly two decades of leadership at ACS, Greg discusses the growing overlap between finance, IT, and compliance—and what it means for lenders today. From securing sensitive data to building scalable frameworks for regulatory risk, this episode covers how smart te...