Alliance Funding Group (AFG) and Lightbrook have announced the launch of Alliance Equipment Finance (AEF), a new venture specialising in equipment financing transactions ranging from US$5 million to US$50 million. AEF aims to provide businesses with streamlined financial solutions to support their critical capital investments.
AEF will be led by a team of seasoned industry experts, including Randy Hicks as President and CEO, Todd Greenberg as Chief Risk Officer, and Ryan Elsass as Chief Revenue Officer.
Experienced leadership at the helm
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Randy Hicks brings over 30 years of experience in equipment leasing, corporate finance, and business development. His impressive track record includes co-founding Nations Equipment Finance and holding senior leadership roles at GE Capital.
Hicks’s expertise in structuring complex financial solutions positions AEF as a trusted partner for businesses with sophisticated capital needs.
“I hope to impart my experience while empowering my colleagues to take on leadership roles and build a business that delivers for our clients and a portfolio that produces for our partners,” Hicks stated.
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Todd Greenberg, who has worked alongside Hicks for over a decade at Nations Equipment Finance, most recently served at Post Road Equipment Finance.
Hicks praised Greenberg’s ability to balance risk assessment with delivering tailored solutions, saying, “Todd brings a terrific balance of risk assessment with the ability to deliver thoughtful solutions to our clients.”
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Ryan Elsass joins AEF from 36th Street Capital, where he built strong relationships with large privately held companies and private equity sponsors.
His deep expertise in originating large-ticket transactions across industries and collateral types will be instrumental in driving AEF’s growth. “Ryan has enjoyed many years of success originating large ticket transactions across many industries and collateral types. I couldn’t be more excited for him to lead our origination effort,” said Hicks.
Backed by industry leaders
AEF leverages the strategic support of AFG, a company founded in 1998 by Brij Patel, which has originated over US$3 billion in leased assets across a diverse range of industries. Patel has built AFG into a powerhouse in the equipment financing industry, and AEF is expected to extend this legacy.
The venture is further strengthened by the backing of Lightbrook, founded by former Truist Bank investment banking veterans Andrew Carroll and Prashant Upadhyay. Hicks referred to Carroll and Upadhyay as AEF’s “secret weapon,” citing their expertise in sourcing and delivering external capital and asset-backed securities (ABS).
“Andrew and Prashant bring unparalleled experience in sourcing and delivering external capital and ABS directly into our business. They know exactly how our portfolio can be constructed to provide us access to the most cost-effective capital available in the market. I do not believe this level of in-house experience exists with any other independent equipment finance platform today,” Hicks remarked.