Quarterly peer-to-peer interactive conversations will focus on relevant, high-impact issues among professionals in Credit, Operations & Technology, Business Development, Factoring, Legal, SFNet 40 Under 40 Alumni and Hall of Fame/Past Presidents Mentoring.

SFNet is bringing members together virtually to take a deep dive into topics relevant to specific groups within our community. In response to the popularity of our Functional Roundtables at SFNet’s Annual Convention, we’ll be exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, digging into timely concerns, and talking about what’s on our members’ minds.

The first series of quarterly SFNet Member Forums will run from 12:00-1:00 p.m. EST February 2-12, 2021 and will be facilitated by leading industry experts. All SFNet members are invited to participate at no cost. Future forums will be held during the first two weeks of May, August and at SFNet’s 77^th Annual Convention in November.

The Credit Forum will kick off on February 2. All credit-related functions, including underwriting, appraisal, field exam, liquidation and portfolio management, are invited to address subjects related to mitigating risk. Randi M. Hershgordon, senior vice president, Gibraltar Business Capital, LLC and Danika Louis, portfolio manager, Republic Business Credit, LLC will be the facilitators. Forum themes will include:

• Underwriting new loans in 2021- Analyzing trends and historical results – Understanding and assessing the impact of the pandemic on 2020 results and the company’s projections for 2021
• Due diligence– Continuing with remote field exams; Are we getting good results?Employing any new procedures? On-site v. virtual test counts?
• Loan covenants– Is EBITDAC the new norm? What does this mean and how is it calculated? What types of addbacks?
• Portfolio Management – What are you doing differently today than a year ago? Changes in BBC structures? Is credit insurance still a viable option?
• Credit monitoring – New procedures and tools being employed by Operations
• EIDL Loans – Best practices for subordination from IRS
• Factoring – Leveraging the operations team to support underwriting.
  
  

“Our world is in the midst of a global pandemic which continues to impact how we do business,” said Hershgordon. “As lenders, we are now faced with underwriting new loan opportunities and managing loan portfolios in a world of uncertainty and credit and risk management are at the forefront of each of our minds.  Please join your industry colleagues at the first quarterly SFNet 2021 Credit Forum for a thought-provoking discussion focused on best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches that we can all use to enhance our effectiveness as lenders.”

The Operations & Technology Forum will be held February 3 and will focus on trends in servicing, reporting, innovation, and the future of the industry from the operations and technology perspective. Arlene C. Bonnet, head of Asset Based Lending Operations, TD Bank, will be the Facilitator.

The Operations & Technology Forum agenda will consist of trends in servicing, reporting, innovation, and the future of the industry from the operations and technology perspective. The Operations & Technology Forum will have topical breakout rooms to better focus on dimensions on the below agenda items:

• Operations as a competitive advantage
• Collateral in the time of pandemic
• What about Quebec?
• Is your bank really a Loss Payee?

The Business Development Forum will be held February 4 with Candice Hubert, SVP, business development, Republic Business Credit ,and Joe Accardi, head of New Business Development, ABL Division, People's United Bank, as facilitators. This forum will discuss:

• Business Development, a new “horizon”, new approaches and new perspectives, 2020 vs. 2021, pros and cons, and the foreseeable future
• The need for extraordinary intra-team collaboration…everyone has a role in growth!
• Networking and investing in relationships in this new era. 

“The Business Development Forum is a great place to brainstorm, and think outside the box, with industry colleagues about a changing world. Adaptability, and being open-minded to different ways of doing things, are so important nowadays,” said Joe Accardi, People’s United Bank.

Hubert offered advice on how to properly prepare for the Forum and remain engaged.

“Jot down a few questions you would like to pose to the group,” she said. “The role of business development is not just about listening but sharing innovative ideas. We are in an environment where engagement in traditional settings is limited, but SFNet is offering a forward-thinking and innovative platform that allows for participants to share perspectives in a unique yet interesting way. This forum will be designed to not only engage, but to enable participants to walk away with new ideas and we want to hear all of them! Think of something that you desire to know more about and come prepared to not only listen but to share.”

For those looking to keep their finger on the pulse of accounts receivable financing, the Factoring Forum will discuss new markets, evolving technologies, credit insurance, collections, aging, charge-offs, and ineligibles. The Forum will be held February 9 with Dan Karas, executive vice president, Allied Affiliated Funding, and Kei Lehigh, executive director, EVP, UMB Bank, as facilitators.

“The Forum will be valuable to the participants because we plan to address current pressing needs and challenges that our members face in the ever-changing market,” said Karas.  “Given the interactive nature of the forum, which was the approach we took during SFNet’s 76^th Annual Convention annual conference, the member’s ideas and solutions drove the conversation, not the facilitators.” Forum themes will include:

• How are you approaching business development this year given that the new normal continues to limit travel and in-person meetings?
  • Are you visiting prospective clients prior to closing a new facility?
  • If not, how do you get comfortable?
• What are the hottest new business niches in 2021?
  • Does it still include PPE providers?
  • Can we capitalize on the changing work dynamic with online purchasing, delivery and remote working/learning?
• What is the biggest hurdle that your business faces as we dive into 2021?
  • How does PPP 2.0 impact your expectations of client and debtor credit quality?
  • How long do you think purchase volume will remain soft following PPP 2.0 funding?
• What are best practices around leveraging team member strengths to drive efficiency?
  • Does cross-training in multiple disciplines help build effective teams?
  • How do you manage a sudden key team member’s absence due to a quarantine?
  • What impact did the pandemic, and PPP loan proceeds, have on your clients and your business?
• Though it is difficult to lose a client to a competitor, what is the acceptable and ethical manner with which to manage the transition?

TheLegal Forumwill be held February 10. General Counsels and top legal professionals from lender firms as well as independent law firms will compare perspectives on important legal trends affecting our industry.

Sarah Gilbert, partner, Business Finance, Hahn & Hessen LLP and Leonard Lee Podair, partner, Business Finance, Hahn & Hessen LLP are the facilitators. Topics will include:

How to mitigate risk when clients request loan document provisions, provisions that are most requested by borrowers such as unrestricted subsidiaries and trap-doors, basket stacking/reclassification/layering issues as well as lender group voting issues and grower baskets.

The 40 Under 40 Alumni Forum will take place on February 11. William Bence, principal, Wingspire Capital, and Chair of SFNet’s National YoPro Committee, and Karen Marino, senior vice president, North Mill Capital LLC, will be the Facilitators.

“The 40 Under 40 Alumni Forum will bring together a collection of the industry’s current and future leaders to discuss how we have all been working in the current environment,” explained Bence. “Topics of discussion will include how marketing and business development has changed, tips and best practices for working remotely, and how to effectively mentor future leaders without having in-person interactions. This will be a great opportunity to catch up and share best practices from industry colleagues across the country.”

In addition to these topics, the Forum will discuss best practices for working from home, the return to the office and travel, and if there’s been any permanent or lasting shifts in how people will work after COVID-19.

“The Forums offered through the SFNet give participants a micro perspective on trends and challenges,” Hubert added. “The interlinking of people and contacts across the U.S. allow for tangible engagements and broaden discussions that can lead to valuable connections and relationships.”

Industry titans, consisting of SFNet Hall of Fame inductees and past presidents, will provide career advice and answer questions related to navigating the secured finance landscape during the Hall of Fame/Past Presidents Mentoring Forum on February 12. Read more on SFNet’s past Hall of Fame inductees from our 75^th Annual convention, held in New York City here.

Space for each Forum is limited to 100 participants to ensure maximum interaction among participants, and breakout rooms will be utilized. Register today to reserve your spot.