Built for the Moment

Agility. Patience. Opportunity.

SFNet’s 79th Annual Convention

November 15-17, 2023 | Orlando, FL of the market and may see various things, and it’s always interesting to hear the ideas that come up.

The secured nance industry is known for its ability to adapt and thrive—no matter what comes our way, we are “Built for the Moment.” When the situation calls for agility, we have the tools to respond. We have the patience to assess the risks and experience to nd the opportunity that others might not see.

At SFNet’s 79th Annual Convention, you will have access to the dynamic speakers and thought-provoking content that will keep you ahead of the curve and ready to optimize your business strategy. You’ll also nd unparalleled opportunities to network with top professionals in secured nance, opening doors to new collaborations and partnerships.

Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of this extraordinary event.

What are some of your goals for the remainder of the year as chair of the Data Committee?

We just achieved one of our major goals in early June, which was SFNet releasing the Market Sizing and Impact Study!

The last study came out in 2019 and, in those years, we’ve gone through and have come out of a pandemic and into an environment with economic uncertainty. It’s a much different environment now and it was a good time to provide a new report to our SFNet members.

There’s tremendous interest in this study because groups have used it for internal benchmarking, capital raising and advocacy. There’s a host of uses, and I think it’s an unbelievably valuable product and a benefit for the SFNet community and beyond.

When you’re not busy at Ares and SFNet what do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy cooking, when time permits. There was a point in my life towards the tail end of my GE career where I went to culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education on the weekends while working at GE Capital, which was a little crazy for a while. I’m also trying to learn guitar as an adult, which is hard, and I have recently gotten back into home audio equipment and high-quality two-channel music playback.

Eileen Wubbe is senior editor of The Secured Lender.

Miin Chen, Siena Lending Group: Joining the Committee has been a great experience for me on so many different levels but perhaps the most rewarding is being part of the process to help bridge the work of SFNet with those that it aims to serve. It’s been humbling to see all the different viewpoints that all the Committee members bring and being challenged to come up with ideas and solutions so that all members are heard and represented.

Laura L. Jakubowski, Goldberg Kohn Ltd. We all know data is powerful, but participating in the SFNet Data Committee has shown me that the key to unlocking real value is combining data with the right human experience and expertise. The members of the SFNet Data Committee have varied backgrounds, interests, and areas of expertise, and the conversations that we have talking through surveys and other data reports are interesting and insightful. SFNet is able to bring useful information to its members, not only because of the underlying data the committee gathers, but the time and insight applied to it by the members of the committee. I have learned so much in listening to and participating in these conversations.