Chuck Thomas

Director

Chuck Thomas is a director at The Alta Group where his deep industry experience, skill and knowledge helps manufacturers and financing providers design and implement highly effective equipment financing programs. He has senior leadership experience in many disciplines, a global perspective and an objective understanding of equipment financing operations, challenges and solutions at all levels. As a hands-on thought leader, Chuck combines his extensive experience, disciplined approach and upbeat personality to help clients achieve success.

Chuck has more than 30 years of experience in the equipment financing industry as a practitioner, leader and advisor to manufacturing companies and captive, bank and independent financing organizations in the United States, Europe and China. He originally honed his expertise at IBM Global Financing where he helped form that organization and then held significant leadership roles in sales, operations, marketing, contracts, business controls, process transformation and IT.

Following his tenure at IBM Global Financing, Chuck was asked to return to the company for an extended period to provide executive coaching for financing sales and operations executives and staff as well as strategic project leadership across ten Central and Western European countries. During that time, he had special focus on financing sales strategy and execution in Central European markets and on front office high-volume process optimization in Italy.

Chuck was also invited to partner with a global Chinese technology manufacturer helping guide their strategic financing operations plan development and provided ongoing policy, process and implementation guidance for their newly created captive financing subsidiary. Much of this two-year assignment was conducted on-site at the client’s headquarters in China.

Since joining The Alta Group, Chuck has worked with numerous clients on a wide array of engagements. Notable projects include assisting manufacturing companies develop strategic plans to support and drive product sales through financing, helping financing providers improve operational efficiencies, providing counsel to manufacturers for the identification, qualification and selection of funding partners, and developing and managing several comprehensive vendor program RFP projects.

Chuck has been a member of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) for many years, serving on its Board of Directors and Finance Committee. He also served as Chairman, Vendor Programs Business Council Steering Committee, Vendor and Captive Leasing Conference Chairman, member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Equipment Lease Financing, and speaker and panelist at numerous ELFA annual conventions and conferences.

Chuck holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He resides in Connecticut and is an avid fly fisherman.