Features

Stay up to date with the latest features and issues from the global leasing industry:

Retooling auto and equipment finance

By Shereen Walia, Senior Sales Consultant, and Martin Cowie, Director of Application Design, Auto and Equipment Finance, FIS

Auto and equipment finance operations are on overload. In a year like no other, the world has needed technology as never before – and asset finance firms are no exception. With offices and branches shutting down and staff switching to working from home, digitalisation has played a critical role in easing the pressure and keeping services up and running throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Leading in the NEXT normal

By Tim O’Sullivan, Director of Global Accounts, IDS

It is natural for those who have been in the business world since 2008 to compare the current coronavirus-driven economic struggles with those of the last financial crisis and subsequent recession.

Mapping the customer journey through automation

By Diana Henry, Technical Content Writer, LTi Technology Solutions

“Customer journey” is a term that dominates the landscape of asset finance – and for good reason. The customer journey not only dictates how likely a customer will follow through with a product or service but also measures how likely they are to come back again. In fact, 86% of customers are willing to spend more on products and services for a great customer experience. Customers now want immediate and tailored experiences across all touchpoints, accelerating the importance of personalising the customer journey through automation.

How will Covid-19 impact the present and future of the leasing industry?

By Amina Chakchouk, COO Leasing, CODIX

How can we prevent the long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the expected economic performance linked to the leasing business from the point of view of the lessor and the lessee? How does the crisis affect the implementation of the right to use assets and the applicable requirements in IFRS16? How can a Covid-19 event be considered in the light of IFRS9 impairment? How can the leasing software system be part of the cure, with a ‘Crisis mode’ or ‘COV in Bank’ management that can easily be switched on?

Ireland – a world leader in aviation finance and leasing

By Joe O’Mara, Head of Aviation Finance & Leasing, KPMG in Ireland

Since the creation of the commercial aircraft sales and leasing company, Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA), in the 1970s, Ireland has developed a reputation as a centre of expertise in aviation financing, with a deep pool of skilled arrangers, managers and advisers.

Leasing: The best way for businesses to go green?

By Miranda Stokkingreef, CEO, ABN AMRO Asset Based Finance

Almost two-thirds of executives believe sustainability is key to being competitive in today’s market, according to a study by business school IMD. It is good for the environment – and consumers increasingly want to buy from eco-conscious businesses. As a result, sustainability is becoming an intrinsic part of leasing solutions. Companies are increasingly looking at how this type of funding can support them in making the sustainability shift – whether that be supporting clients’ develop-and-maintain circular business models or contributing to the reduction of C02 emissions.

Transfer pricing – OECD developments and the future of governance for lessors

By Neil Casey, KPMG in Ireland

The last several decades have seen significant globalisation of businesses and the wider economy generally. World-wide intra-group trade has grown exponentially within this environment and transfer pricing rules had struggled to keep pace.

Cloud is shaping the future of asset finance

By David Hamilton, CEO, IDS

As more diverse asset classes are being financed, and new lease and loan products are introduced, it is important for financial service companies to adopt technology to help support their growth and the continued evolution and innovation of their product and service offerings. Cloud based technology offers the flexibility and scalability required to facilitate and accelerate growth.

The birth and growth of the aircraft leasing business

By Robert F. Agnew, President & CEO, Morten Beyer & Agnew, US

It is my great fortune to have spent the last 45 years in aviation. First, I served in KC-135s with the USAF, then with two great airlines, and finally running an aviation appraisal and advisory firm, as well as chairman of the board of directors for a publicly traded airline.

Time and tide wait for no one

By Mark Binks, Bynx

To say that the automotive leasing industry is going through a period of intense change and facing unprecedented challenges is an understatement. The interest in mobility services and consumers’ waning desire for vehicle ‘ownership’ is shaking up the whole concept of vehicle leasing, presenting both an opportunity and a threat to leasing and finance companies everywhere.

The impact of digital technology on the leasing industry

By Najeeb Ghauri, Netsol Technologies, Inc, US

In recent years, the vast majority of financial service providers have taken significant steps towards de-risking their lending environment. With traditional lenders less likely to offer finance in the face of strict regulatory requirements, organisations as well as individuals at every scale have had to turn towards alternative financing models to enable the continued growth and optimisation of their operations. Asset finance and leasing have quickly come to the fore as the most viable option for funding new equipment, vehicles and digital initiatives.

Leasing in the Middle East and Africa

By Hans Geijsen, Invigors EMEA LLP

While leasing can trace its origins to the Middle East, in Mesopotamia and Persia, it is nonetheless very difficult to perceive strong and significant activity in equipment leasing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This is despite the well-established concept of Ijarah governing leasing contracts, with its foundation in Shari’a law.

EETCs: A viable financing option for US and non-US airlines alike?

By Mary O'Neill, Shari McField and Wanda Ebanks, Maples and Calder

In simple terms, enhanced equipment trust certificates (EETCs) are corporate debt securities, typically issued by airlines. EETCs are secured on the aircraft operated by the airlines, and are structured through special purpose companies (SPVs) created specifically to own the aircraft and “enhanced” by elements such as debt tranching, availability of liquidity facilities and over-collateralisation.

The possible impact of Brexit on the leasing industry

By Lindsay J. Town, IAA-Advisory

Lindsay J. Town, Chairman and Chief Executive of IAA-Advisory looks at how the changes from Brexit that impact the UK and wider EU economies will inevitably have an impact on the leasing industry’s performance and prospects.

Aircraft leasing in Germany

By Dirk Schmalenbach and Johannes Vogel, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP

Dirk Schmalenbach and Johannes Vogel from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP give a brief overview of recent economic and legal developments affecting the commercial aircraft leasing market in Germany.

Intermodal container leasing

By Bert van Leeuwen, DVB Bank S.E.

Bert van Leeuwen from DVB Bank S.E. looks at the rapid maturity of the container leasing industry over the past years, even though container boxes probably are amongst the least “glamorous” assets in the world of equipment leasing.

Brexit and equipment leasing

By Sarah Dyke and Alexander Hewitt, Dentons

Sarah Dyke, (Partner, Dentons) and Alexander Hewitt (Professional Support Lawyer, Dentons) examine key potential impacts of Brexit on equipment leasing. Specifically, this article looks at Brexit's potential effects on: English leasing law; current leasing transactions; domestic regulatory burdens on UK lessors; governing law and jurisdiction clauses in cross-border equipment leases; financial regulatory barriers to leasing from the UK into EU states; and VAT or its replacement and other taxes and duties.

A new set of challenges

By Bill Stephenson, DLL

Bill Stephenson, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board at DLL looks back over the past year and the increasing number of challenges faced by the global leasing industry. Some years come and go without much fanfare. They present the usual challenges which are dealt with and quickly forgotten, their details replaced in our memories with more recent events. For those of us in the leasing industry, this is not one of those years.

Seizing the next digital opportunity

By Carmen Ene and Nick Gallop, 3 Step IT

Carmen Ene and Nick Gallop from 3 Step IT discuss how digitisation is widespread, and the next step is digitalisation. It offers the opportunity to re-engineer business processes and create competitive advantage. But opportunity is not always realised: skills are in scarce supply and the expectations for a digitalisation project are not always realistic. What should we hope for? Where should we focus? How can we maximise the chances of success?