VENDOR LEASING EXPERT JOINS THE ALTA GROUP'S EUROPEAN UNIT
LONDON, ENGLAND, April 03, 2003 — The Alta Group announced today that Alan E. Leesmith, a chartered accountant with decades of equipment leasing and finance industry experience, has joined this international consulting agency as a principal in its European region.
In his more than 30 years in the equipment leasing industry, Leesmith has witnessed the extensive scale of its development and change. He has built a career in sales-aid (vendor) leasing. At Anglo Leasing, a leading independent sales-aid lessor in the United Kingdom, he served first as finance director and then later as managing director, helping Anglo to achieve 16 years of consecutive profit growth without making any acquisitions.
During his tenure, Anglo achieved a full public listing on the London Stock Exchange and the first AAA-rated securitization for small-ticket leases in the United Kingdom. Following the acquisition of Anglo by Woodchester Credit Lyonnais, Anglo grew to become the largest lessor in the United Kingdom's office-equipment sector and was later acquired by GE Capital.
As an active participant in the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Leesmith served at one time on the Technical Advisory Committee, a member of the working party reviewing SSAP21 (Lease Accounting). He also is an institute adviser on professional ethics.
In 1997 Leesmith formed his own consultancy, Bavelaw Associates Ltd. It has advised numerous global equipment manufacturers and lessors on European, American and Australasian vendor leasing. Other assignments include advising on the opportunities for international taxed-based leasing through Dublin, securitization issues in the United Kingdom, leasing systems development and selection, insurance programs and raising equity and loan capital for sums ranging from £100k to US$450m.
"Alan brings a wealth of vendor leasing experience, and he is an acknowledged expert in many of the areas of equipment leasing and finance in which we do considerable client research. We are delighted to have him as part of our team," says Derek Soper, the founding principal in the European office of The Alta Group.
Leesmith is also a founder and CEO of Lease and Finance International, a privately owned insurance agency with offices on several continents. Leesmith plans to continue in this role.
The European office of The Alta Group provides joint venture and merger and acquisition advisory services as well as strategic benchmarking, competitive positioning and market-entry consulting. They frequently advise growing manufacturers interested in pan-European vendor programs and assist in market-entry projects.
About The Alta Group
The Alta Group's European office, based in London since 1998, is composed of five principals, all with extensive backgrounds in the $500 billion global equipment leasing and finance markets. The U.S. headquarters, launched in 1992, is in Glenbrook, Nevada, (www.thealtagroup.com). The Alta Group is a leading source of corporate consulting and advisory services, education and training to the global equipment leasing and finance industry. It includes 17 professionals worldwide-former CEOs, company founders and industry organization leaders-who collectively have more than 350 years of experience. The company was founded in 1992 by Norm Chapman, John Deane, John Giddens and Bill Montgomery, well-known U.S. leasing veterans.
Susan
Carol, Susan Carol Associates Public Relations Inc.
(540) 659-0843
sca@scapr.com
John
C. Deane, The Alta Group
(775) 749-1028
jdeane@thealtagroup.com
Jonathan L. Fales, The Alta Group
(203) 894-4608
jfales@thealtagroup.com
