SFNet Announces Plans for New Executive Level Committees

At a meeting of its Executive Committee in June, SFNet put forward a plan to establish two new standing committees. The first would seek to understand and address issues of diversity, equality and inclusion as they affect the SFNet Community. The second would focus on the proliferation of international secured finance. The formation of the new committees, which would hold seats on SFNet’s Executive Committee, will be presented for approval to SFNet Member Directors along with the overall recommended slate of 2021 Fiscal Year Executive and Management Committee candidates later this month.

Regarding the new Diversity, Equality and Inclusiveness Committee, SFNet CEO Rich Gumbrecht commented, “Our strength is drawn directly from the talent, commitment, and energy of every person within our diverse and inclusive community of professionals. This collective power makes our organizations more vital, the clients we serve stronger and the economies we underpin more resilient.”  He added, “We are committed to understanding the drivers and effects of inequality and the value of diversity and inclusiveness to our secured finance community and seeking impactful advancements.”

The Diversity, Equality and Inclusiveness Committee’s preliminary charter is to:

• Understand specific challenges and opportunities within our communities of interest and articulate the case for change
• Complement and refine existing SFNet and Foundation policies and programs and support our member’s initiatives
• Demonstrate sustainable outcomes

On establishing the Committee, SFNet President John DePledge and Head of Asset Based Lending at Bank Leumi remarked, “SFNet is united by our vision, our values and a Code of Business Practices that is governed by integrity, transparency and fairness. This committee will build on this important foundation.”   

About the formation of the new International Finance and Development Committee, Gumbrecht commented, “SFNet is a global community and has long invested resources to expand the knowledge, reach and tools available to our members with international and cross-border interests. With massive disruptions to global supply chains, this is a critical time to reinforce SFNet’s commitment to strengthening our capabilities.” John DePledge added, “We continue to equip our members for success globally through programs that drive both immediate results and important missionary work that will yield benefits for years to come.” 

The International Finance and Development Committee’s preliminary charter is to:

• Promote secured lending globally by building on existing SFNet forums, educational programs, communications and advocacy efforts
• Help countries modernize their secured transactions laws, by working with the World Bank, United Nations, UNIDROIT and other international organizations, in order to (i) create jobs, improve standards of living and generate economic growth through domestic and cross-border secured financing transactions, and (ii) better enable our members to effectively meet the cross-border financing needs of their borrowers
• Demonstrate sustainable outcomes

For more information or to get involved in SFNet committees, please contact SFNet’s Chief Value Officer Morten Kucey at mkucey@sfnet.com.