Fred Crawley’s editor’s letter (Let’s get together
LL 227 August) noted that leasing organisations are a bit like
buses; you wait for one and then two come along at once. Fred
welcomed the new Leasing Foundation and the possibility that a new
membership organisation would be formed in the UK to build on the
successful Cordoba Group lunches. There was a danger that with too
many voices representing the sector, the right voices could get
drowned out in the resulting cacophony, he noted. However so long
as cooperation and a strong sense of community is maintained
between the two new groups and the established trade associations,
including the FLA, there would be a golden opportunity for the
industry, he concluded.
Fred is right and there are several ways in
which we can ensure that the cooperation is successful. The FLA’s
role is to promote the business interests of our members, the UK’s
asset finance and leasing companies. The new organisations are
focused on areas including research, fundraising, leadership
development and networking. So there are several areas for possible
cooperation.
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The FLA organises networking events, including
our annual dinner at the Grosvenor House that attracts 1,400
members and many parliamentary and other official guests. Whether
it’s the annual dinner or our drinks receptions or our bi-annual
asset finance senior executives’ dinners, we always take the
opportunity to discuss policy issues.
A new organisation grounded in philanthropy
would be entirely complementary to our role of promoting the
business interests of the industry and should be welcomed. Indeed,
other organisations also help to bring the different parts of our
industry together for networking and we support these
wholeheartedly and welcome any more.
To represent the industry effectively it is
vital that our lobbying for the business interests of members is
supported by solid evidence that will carry weight in Whitehall,
Brussels or elsewhere. That’s why we prepare industry
statistics and commission top quality research both here in the UK
and working with Leaseurope, which last year established a fund to
support major policy-based European research projects. The prospect
of additional research – perhaps to help companies to work more
efficiently or to develop new opportunities – being freely
available across the industry is very welcome. If there is a word
of caution in this area then it would be with regard to ensuring
that any research activity is not duplicated.
We also run occasional seminars to help develop
the industry’s policy on various matters. Our Secondary Market
seminars helped us to successfully lobby the Government to include
leasing in its Business Finance Partnership scheme, and our Low
Carbon seminars helped us to get leasing included in the Carbon
Trust’s loan scheme as well as opening the door to a potential new
Green Investment Bank scheme. Meanwhile Leaseurope’s Annual
Convention attracts hundreds of board-level participants for a
serious debate about the future of the industry as well as
unrivalled networking opportunities. Leasing Life and others also
organise very successful events and we welcome any additions to the
calendar.
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By GlobalDataWe are also about to launch a new professional
qualification for the asset finance industry that will be offered
in conjunction with a top financial services chartered body. It
would be ideal if the Foundation was to put its weight behind this
and help to ensure that the students benefit from their trustees’
expertise. For example, a good use of charitable monies could
be to support academic achievement among students who, for whatever
reason, were unable to financially support themselves or be
sponsored by employers.
Knowing many of those involved in the new
organisations I’m confident that we will form the right working
relationships, in the areas set out above and indeed in the many
other aspects of the FLA’s work and that of the other existing
associations. We look forward to collaborating with the new
organisations.
George
Ashworth
Managing Director, Asset Finance, Aldermore
Bank
Chair, Asset Finance Division, Finance and Leasing
Association
Contact us
Leasing Life welcomes responses to
any news story, feature article, and comment piece as well as
unsolicited correspondence on any issue affecting the European
leasing and asset finance industry.
Please write to Grant Collinson, deputy editor, at grant.collinson@vrlfinancialnews.com or
Fred Crawley, editor, at fred.crawley@vrlfinancialnews.com
