Finance companies that will dominate the emerging electric-centric landscape will be those who prepare their sustainable business models now. Laggards will allow policy uncertainties and short-term margin concerns to delay vital strategy planning and key tech investment which will be critical differentiators for their organisations’ success in the emerging electric-not-ICE world that is now inevitable. That’s the call-to-action from Deloitte at the AFC Leaders’ Summit in Brussels on April 16th. It’s also the topic for debate among the very senior participants from Europe’s leading lenders including Mike Janse, COO and a.i. CEO, DLL; Mathilde Saint-Pol, managing director, TMF France, Econocom; John Saffrett, group deputy CEO, Ayvens; Bill Stephenson, global CEO of PEAC Solutions and Richard Knubben, director general of Leaseurope and Eurofinas.
AFC have gathered a range of experts to test the assertion. To address the tech implications of Deloitte’s proposition – the tech investment they believe is needed now - AFC have asked Andrew Flegg, CTO from Alfa to join the opening panel.
In March 2024 Alfa introduced Sustainability, the third pillar of Alfa Systems 6 - a breakthrough iteration of the Alfa Systems software platform. This release is designed to enable lenders to deliver the sustainable business models Deloitte believe are critical for finance providers to lead in the emerging sustainability landscape. It addresses core existing and likely emerging capabilities the industry may need to deploy if Deloitte’s vision is right including, for example, everything-as-a-service and subscription models which incentivise utilisation rather than ever more regular asset replacement; and enhanced asset management capabilities which enable finance companies to maximise asset value throughout its economic life, lengthening the duration of usage for each asset with its intrinsic investment in carbon emissions. You can read more here. Alfa also announced new industry-first Scope 3 reporting functionality in 2023.
AFC Leaders’ Summit Europe will comprise over 100 of Europe’s leading auto and equipment finance leaders meeting in Brussels on April 16th to discuss emerging issues in the asset finance industry, against a backdrop of uncertainty which may challenge the unwary. Banks are re-assessing their commitment to their equipment finance businesses as alternative uses of capital start to seem more compelling than the low-margin, volume focused businesses that emerged in the low-interest-rate-pandemic and then supply-chain-starved post-pandemic economies. The break-down in the political consensus around sustainability too seems to threaten established environmental timelines as Europe and UK prepare for national and regional elections which might bring in new less-environmentally focused policies.
Flegg will speak alongside Richard Knubben, director general of the Leaseurope who will outline policy opportunities and objectives that are the focus of attention for the EU in the lead-in to the elections in June. Bill Stephenson, global CEO of PEAC Solutions will discuss the need to seek out high margin businesses after a period in which equipment finance companies have grown used to low margins; John Saffrett, group deputy CEO of Ayvens (the new name for Leaseplan/ALD Automotive) will talk about who pays for the transition (as the French government government considers the right mix of malus and reward).
Asset Finance Connect Leaders’ Summit Europe is an invitation only one day summit taking place at the Steigenberger Icon Wiltcher's in Brussels on April 16, 2024.
Automotive and equipment finance companies who would like to attend this year’s event should write to louiseclavey@assetfinanceconnect.com or apply online at https://afcleadersummit.com/2024/en/page/submit-your-registration
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