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Manufacturing CFOs to Explore Risk Management, Sales Finance Opportunities in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Latin America
August 16, 2004 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Chicago — Equipment finance experts will explore opportunities for growth-oriented manufacturers in Latin American, Asia-Pacific and Europe at a conference here from September 20 through 21.
Manufacturers will learn how to manage risk, boost sales and expand distribution channels through customer finance programs.
The Customer Financing Conference is tailored for CFOs, CEOs and senior-level finance directors and is sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Equipment Leasing Association (ELA) and The Alta Group, an international consultancy specializing in equipment finance. The conference is the first to unite top-level manufacturing and finance executives on a broad international agenda.
Recent World Bank statistics suggest Latin America has the economic potential to grow tenfold just to catch up with American standards of living, says Rafael Triana-Castillo, a principal in The Alta Group, who will lead the session titled "Latin America's Hot Markets: Balancing Risk and Rewards Below the Border."
He will be joined by Samuel S. Moore of International Risk Consultants (IRC), based in Columbus, Ohio, and Bud Welborn, vice president, underwriter management, Leasing Group Inc. RC has offices around the world and specializes in credit insurance, political risk insurance, and trade finance solutions. Leasing Group is an international broker of small-ticket leases in furniture, office equipment, and software.
The Asia-Pacific session, "Bridging Customer Finance Cultural and Regulatory Divides in Asia" will be moderated by Humberto D. Olavarria. The newest member of The Alta Group's Latin American division, he was previously the head of Asset Based Finance and Leasing for Citigroup's Asia-Pacific Region. This panel will prepare attendees for a future in which they are likely to be manufacturing in Asia themselves.
Don Chan, general manager of leasing business, Canada International Investment Ltd. (CIIL), will lead a discussion on how joint ventures in China are formed and the ways American executives are dealing with the inevitable cultural differences in the world's fastest growing economy. Based in Beijing, China, Chan has more than 15 years experience in the financial services industry in the U.S., China and Pan Asia and has held positions with CIT China, Dell Financial Services, and AT&T Capital.
CIIL is a leading Canadian investor in China with more than $250 million in investment in China, mainly in commercial property in Beijing. CIIL partners with a Shanghai-listed company to establish a leasing joint venture that will specialize in infrastructure, aircraft and telecom leasing. In addition to helping CIIL set up that joint venture, Chan advises leading Chinese manufacturers on establishing vendor programs.
Rounding out the panel is Qunio Takashima, the founder and president of Technology Interlink Management K.K., of Tokyo. His work spans Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and India.
The European perspective will be addressed by Alta principals Patrick Gouin, Paris, and Alan Leesmith, London in the session "Maintaining Balance on Shifting Ground: Customer Finance Issues in Europe." The two will discuss expanding markets in Eastern Europe and the changing requirements for doing business throughout Europe.
Gouin and Leesmith, seasoned executives and European natives, both specialize in captive and vendor program development, strategic business realignment and market entry services.
The conference also will feature speakers from such internationally known manufacturing organizations as Caterpillar Financial Services, Sun Microsystems Financial, Boeing Capital and Microsoft Capital.
Sponsors include Bank of America, CHP Consulting, De Lage Landen, Portfolio Financial Services Co., CIT, Cyence International, Ecologic Leasing Solutions, ePlus Inc., Information Leasing Corp. and Key Equipment Finance.
For more information on the Customer Financing Conference, visit www.thealtagroup.com/conference.