It is not everyday that you are given an opportunity to live out the career you would have in an alternate universe, but that is exactly what happened to me, thanks to the SFNet Guest Lecture Program and SFNet MidWest Chapter President Jennifer Kempton, who kindly asked me to be the Guest Lecturer.   

Last month, Sarah Fyffe, vice president, Asset Based Lending, BMO Harris Bank, and I were able to virtually present ABL 101 to Professor Gregory Udell’s Entrepreneurial Finance Class at Indiana University on April 5.  It was without a doubt one of the coolest things I have ever done in my career and I am so grateful to have been involved. Education and mentorship are my favorite part of the job and, to do so in a university setting, was an incredible experience.  For Sarah, it was a chance to lecture to a classroom where she once sat as a student in Professor Udell’s class.  Talk about coming full circle!

Lizzy (pronounced LEE-see) Diaz-Ortiz is a Chicago-based attorney with over 15 years of experience leading culture change for organizations. Most recently, her efforts have focused on driving diversity and inclusion programs in which she helps organizations create a culture of belonging to drive better business results.

She grew up as a military brat living and working all over the world and spent her formative years in Germany, quite different than the rest of her extended Puerto Rican family. Her diverse experiences as an Army dependent laid the groundwork for a three-year professional stint in Mexico City as an adult. More importantly, it provided the foundation for her desire to work in the diversity, equity, and inclusion realm and advocate for equitable outcomes.

What if I don’t want to come back?  Do I have to disclose whether I was vaccinated to my employer? What are the impacts of remote operations from a commercial real estate perspective? How does corporate culture survive in a remote or hybrid environment? What is the impact on career mobility? How are new technologies being deployed to revolutionize workflows and the customer experience in the equipment finance industry?

As the country continues to make its comeback after more than a year of fear and uncertainty from COVID-19, we are left with a lot of questions on what this all means about the work world—returning to offices and what the future will look like. In response to this, SFNet will host its first Innovation Conference, focusing on The Future of Work on July 14 and July 21, 2021 from 12:00-3:00 EDT each day. The Conference will focus on what the world of secured finance will look like as we emerge from the crisis. Attendees will walk away with the knowledge of whether their business is leading, adapting or falling behind.

What are some effective ways to approach management regarding the sensitive topic of compensation, particularly as it relates to peers in the same role, and also within the current overall market?

Laura Kemper Glass, vice chair of SFNet’s WISF Committee, is senior vice president and senior portfolio manager for Bank of America Business Capital (BABC), part of the Wholesale Credit division at Bank of America.  

Based in Atlanta, Glass is responsible for the asset-based lending portfolio in the Eastern United States and Europe.  In this role, she leads a team of credit professionals responsible for managing a $20 billion portfolio of credit commitments in the asset-based lending plus related products and solutions.   The team serves clients in a wide range of industries primarily in the middle market and large corporate space.

Here she discusses her career trajectory and current position, leadership and what the finance industry can do to improve diversity.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management today announced the launch of J.P. Morgan Private Capital, which includes a new growth equity investment arm and an existing private debt business, committed to providing customized solutions for early and growth stage companies across the capital structure. The group will be focused on institutional and high-net-worth clients and will also have the ability to invest the firm's capital alongside investors.

J.P. Morgan Private Capital will be led by Brian Carlin, previously CEO of Wealth Management Solutions at J.P. Morgan, with Rick Smith, former Head of Private Investments at JPMorgan Chase, serving as Chairman of the group, and Meg McClellan, serving as the Head of Private Debt. 

Gordon Brothers, the global advisory, restructuring and investment firm, has partnered with the investment banking firm Consensus to provide a $13 million term loan to Moda Operandi to support the sale of its business.

“The Gordon Brothers team was remarkable to work with,” said Stephanie Roberts, Interim Chief Financial Officer at Moda Operandi. “This was one of the best executed financings I’ve been through as they kept the process simple, straightforward and executed exactly what they said they would from the beginning.”

On June 16 & 23, SFNet’s live online Women in Secured Finance Conference will bring together women who are looking to grow professionally, share experiences, celebrate successes and advocate for each other. 

In response to feedback the WISF Committee has received from previous WISF conferences, SFNet is reimagining this year's event format by partnering with Corporate Class, Inc. to offer attendees an interactive, customized workshop focused on developing executive presence along with career progression and leadership skills.

WISF Committee chair, Paula Currie of PNC Bank, said, “After the past year of remote living and working, we all could use a recharge to help us get back in the game. This year’s WISF conference, promises to do just that! The two-day interactive workshop is facilitated by experienced and renowned instructors who will help you build the skills, tools and confidence needed to realize your full potential and take your career to the next level.”

White Oak Commercial Finance ("White Oak") closed a working capital credit facility with Mana Products Inc. ("Mana"), a developer and manufacturer of high-end beauty products based in New York, at the end of the first quarter.

The innovative beauty products company has been in business for over 40 years developing formulas for some of the world’s leading beauty brands and was recently acquired by Traub Capital, an experienced private equity firm specialized in building value in consumer companies. The funding will support Mana’s growth and market opportunities.

Kurt Marsden is the executive vice president and head of Wells Fargo Capital Finance, which provides traditional asset-based lending, equipment financing solutions, and specialized junior and senior secured lending to companies in the U.S., UK, and Canada.

Kurt joined Wells Fargo in 1992 through Capital Finance’s predecessor Foothill Capital Corporation, and has held many leadership roles in originations, portfolio management, and credit during his tenure, spanning all aspects of the company’s asset-based lending offerings.

Kurt holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance and real estate from California State University, Northridge. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and two children. Outside of the office, Kurt is active in his community as the Board President of Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, which is a non-profit focused on promoting greater inclusion for children with disabilities.

CIT Group Inc. (NYSE: CIT) today announced that its Power and Energy business served as coordinating lead arranger for approximately $200 million in financing for the 149-megawatt Big River solar power project in White County, Illinois.

The project sponsor is D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments (DESRI), a leading provider of cost-effective renewable energy across North America. DESRI is part of the D. E. Shaw Group, a global investment and technology development firm with more than $55 billion in investment capital.

Antonio McKinney is a business intelligence analyst with over 10 years of professional sales, workforce management and factoring experience. Antonio is an HBCU alumni, hailing from Langston University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He currently works for TBS Factoring, LLC as the embedded analyst for the accounting division. Antonio resides in Oklahoma where he enjoys spending time with his wife and their 8-month-old daughter.

Jude Baldo is an associate in the Global Finance group of Sidley Austin LLP, a global law corporate law firm. He is responsible for counseling clients in complex financings across a broad spectrum of platforms, industries, and asset types, including lending and securitization transactions, both domestically and internationally.  Prior to embarking on his legal career, Jude was an associate vice president for a software as a service company, where his experiences with cross-border technology regulations led him to law school. Jude graduated a Regents Scholar from the University of California, Los Angeles and from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law with a JD.

Jude resides in Illinois with his wife, their newborn, and their French bulldog, Celine.

To see all the DEI resources, click here.