The International Finance and Leasing Association (IFLA) is
looking for a new member from the UK to extend the network of
countries it currently covers.
The association, which has 27 members from as many countries
worldwide but with a strong European focus, has said it intends to
add a new UK member after British lessor Lombard left the
association last year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Access deeper industry intelligence
Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise.
The IFLA’s president Kjell Stronen, who is a director at
Norway-based DNB NOR Finans, said that the association only takes
one member from every country, to try and avoid having competitors
in the same group.
“The IFLA’s main objective is to exchange in-depth ideas,
knowledge and experiences between members to identify best
practices and solve critical issues,” he said.
“As a consequence, the most important thing is having only one
leasing company from each country. The reason is that this way we
have the opportunity to be more open and transparent, share
information and best practices from our companies without being
limited because a competitor is in the same room.”
The new UK member will benefit from being part of a network of
high-profile lessors ranging from European countries – including
Netherlands’ Amstel Lease, Greece’s Piraeus Leasing and Italy’s
Agrileasing – to Indian, Austrialian and US members and sharing
significant information with them.
It should be among the top 10 providers of financing and leasing
facilities in its own country, and should preferably be part of a
larger organisation, although not necessarily a bank.
Amstel Lease’s Robert Peterson, who recently joined the IFLA
advisory committee, also highlighted that the new member needs to
be “proactive”, meaning that it has to be actively involved in what
the association does.
He explained that during this year’s annual meeting in May, IFLA
members discussed how the financial crisis has impacted their
businesses from a risk management perspective and a human resources
perspective.
“Companies showed the measures they are taking and how these
have helped or not their activity. This can be a source of
inspiration for other companies,” he said.
Alongside a new UK member, IFLA is also looking for members from
countries like Japan and Brazil, where the leasing market is
growing.
Antonio Fabrizio
