Call for nominations: Leasing Life Awards 2022

ASSET FINANCE INTERMEDIARY

A good intermediary serves his or her clients and funder panel, placing deals for the right reasons for the customer. The ideal model shows a business that cares about the post-transaction aspects and has a strong ethic to business dealings. In the current challenging markets, the intermediary demonstrates an ability to grow, develop customer offerings that are relevant and has a risk and performance culture that is respected internally as well as externally.

For this award, the judges will be looking at:

• Sustainable year-on-year business growth (not scale, but progression) measured over 5 years.

• Endorsement from the intermediary’s key funding panel members, speaking to risk quality, aftersales service and customer care.

• Evidence of lender endorsements via example transactions, showing where the deals have gone, favouring real service over simple placement.

• Clear demonstration of their ability in developing people

• Examples of “added value” and how the intermediary turns transactions and relationships into a viable business where others could not.

• How the intermediary builds quality and sustainable relationships, with vendors and manufacturers, or on a regional focus.

ASSET FINANCE LEGAL PROVIDER

The stand-out firms are those that lead thinking, add value back to the industry and challenge the status quo while offering an exemplary service on top of their legal knowledge. Asset finance must be a core discipline and demand a real focus from the firm.

Judges will consider:

• Team focus – is it a specialised asset finance legal team? Can it clearly bring in other disciplines where needed?

• People development – does the legal provider demonstrate a development culture and do they bring on (and attract) strong new talent.

• Thought Development – is the firm proactive in challenging and informing the industry.

• The intermediary’s client satisfaction and market reputation.

• Growth of profile and capability; has the firm built on its successes and made inroads into developing its service reach and client capability.

SME CHAMPION – EUROPEAN

This award recognises European asset finance lenders that directly engage in supporting the SME market, beyond volume picked up via wholesale/intermediary type operations.

Judges will consider:

• Demonstrable interest in the SME markets, beyond the provision of finance

• Clear endorsement from clients

• Consistent growth and commitment to the SME market

• Examples of demonstrating creativity and addressing SME market demands in imaginative ways

SME CHAMPION – UK – BANK LESSOR

This award recognises UK asset finance lenders that directly engage in supporting the SME market, beyond volume picked up via wholesale/intermediary type operations.

Judges will consider:

• Demonstrable interest in the SME markets, beyond the provision of finance

• Clear endorsement from clients

• Consistent growth and commitment to the SME market

• Examples of demonstrating creativity and addressing SME market demands in imaginative ways

SME CHAMPION – UK – INDEPENDENT OR PRIVATELY OWNED

This award recognises UK asset finance lenders that directly engage in supporting the SME market, beyond volume picked up via wholesale/intermediary type operations.

Judges will consider:

• Demonstrable interest in the SME markets, beyond the provision of finance

• Clear endorsement from clients

• Consistent growth and commitment to the SME market

• Examples of demonstrating creativity and addressing SME market demands in imaginative ways

VENDOR FINANCE PROVIDER

This award recognises an asset finance lessor who has worked in conjunction with a manufacturer to provide tailored asset finance at the point of sale. The essence of success is building strong and successful partnerships that add clear value to both sides: this is not just about the provision of funding but also about creating a strong service and partnership business culture that withstands the ebbs and flows of the external environment.

Judges will consider:

• Range and longevity of working partnerships

• Endorsement from vendor partners

• Evidence of developing more than “just financing”

• Growth over time and the depth of their commitment to the business sector.

EUROPEAN LESSOR

To qualify for this award, nominees must have businesses across at least two of Europe’s major five economies and write at least €500m worth of new business annually. The European lessor of the year should be able to explain how it is driving change in the industry with market initiatives, product design, or value-add services.

Judges will consider:

• Business being written in multiple jurisdictions within the EU

• Strong brand market presence in multiple jurisdictions

• Evidencing should include deal volumes, with some ‘marquee’ deal example, with a few lines explaining size and complexity.

• Demonstrating how the lessor is driving change in the industry with market initiatives, product design, or value-added services

CAPTIVE LESSOR

This award is open to nominations for the captive finance houses of any commercial asset or vehicle producer. This award recognises a real focus on the captive’s efforts in supporting the parent and developing solutions that are relevant. Support through all parts of the economic cycle is a critical feature and the lessor should be able to demonstrate how they use their skills to improve the products and services to assist sales and create additional value.

Judges will consider:

• Degree of finance penetration both in absolute terms and as a percentage of parent sales

• Demonstrating a commitment to support through all stages of the economic cycle and finding creative solutions to challenges (e.g., difficult markets/locations)

• Creativity in product design, implementation and in service, both to the parent and to the customer

• Evidence of the strength of the Parent/Lessor relationship showing how they work “hand in glove” to add additional value to the customer and add value to their group.

MIDDLE TICKET CORPORATE LESSOR

To qualify for this award, lessors must be writing business in the €20m+ ticket size. In this sector, asset knowledge, risk appreciation, skilled structuring and commitment to the sector are all important features.

Judges will consider:

• Demonstrable commitment to the middle ticket sector as shown by sustained and growing business volumes over time

• Asset or sector specialisation where true expertise has been created

• Evidence of creative product or service approaches. This could be shown in how other products or services have been combined into an asset finance product (e.g., export finance, EIB or similar funding programmes etc.)

• Commitment to the middle ticket sector that spans geographic boundaries

• Commitment to developing the skills and capability to grow the middle ticket asset finance product

DIGITAL INNOVATION

This award is meant to recognise a policy, product or leasing-related site or application that pushes the envelope on how commercial lessors relate to their customers. Not designed simply for ‘e-signatures’ or a back-room platform change, this award must impress the judges with its technological expertise and its novelty.

Judges will consider:

• The judges must understand, through a convincing narrative, the genesis of the product or site, and how it is new or differentiates itself from previous digital innovations.

• Evidence must be provided on how the innovation improves the customer experience or allows an improvement in costs, speed of transaction or response and communication.

• Evidence of commercial advantage through innovation is encouraged.

• Potential developments, as well as implemented innovations, qualify, e.g., regarding data quality, the use of blockchain/distributed ledger technology in the areas of document and asset verification could qualify, as much as a client-facing site or direct platform innovation, or efficiency in the speed of service.

BEST ‘ESG/SUSTAINABILITY’ INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

The European Commission’s (EC) Action Plan on sustainable finance is a major policy objective by the European Union (EU) to promote sustainable investment. As per the plan, banks are expected to finance sustainable economic activities to transition to a carbon-neutral economy. The plan was introduced in March 2018 in response to the Paris Agreement and to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The plan is also aligned with the goals of the European Green Deal, which aims to see the EU carbon neutral by 2050.

Judges will consider:

• An initiative designed to help customers achieve a transition to a carbon neutral status.

• Evidence of uptake and success of the programme.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

The young professional of the year category will recognise someone under 40 years of age who in 2022 has demonstrated the depth of their talent and the breadth of their expertise in the leasing and asset finance industry. The winner does not need to have risen to a senior position but will be someone whose peers agree has had a positive impact on the leasing community, influencing not just the success of their company but also the wider industry, and is judged by the Leasing Life editorial team.

The following awards are presented to individuals and as such these will be awarded by the judging panel without prior nomination:

INDUSTRY AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR

This award will be given to an individual who is considered to have done more than any other to promote, develop and enhance the reputation, economic role and social status of the leasing industry in 2022

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

This prestigious award goes to an individual who has helped to build and to shape the international leasing industry during their career. Their contribution will have driven new developments across the industry. They will have successfully steered companies and mentored colleagues through challenges and taken strategic leadership within their organization and the leasing community. They will be a top influencer among their leasing peers, and with the wider business community. The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes talent, tenacity, experience and commitment.