Alta’s John Deane to Retire After 27 Years at Helm of Leading Consultancy

GLENBROOK, NV, Nov. 24--John C. Deane, CEO, chairman and a co-founder of The Alta Group, announced he will retire at the end of 2020. Valerie L. Gerard  and James R. Jackson, Jr. have been appointed co-CEOs, and Thomas C. Wajnert will serve as chairman of this international consultancy dedicated to the equipment finance industry. While Deane will retire from daily management, he will continue to serve on Alta’s board of directors.

“It has been a remarkable 27 years, and now it is time for me to move on and for Alta to embrace a new generation of leadership,” Deane said in an internal letter to Alta colleagues.

“John Deane has been a guiding force for Alta, and for the equipment leasing and finance industry as a whole,” said Wajnert, who also serves as Alta’s senior managing director of client development. “His wisdom and depth of industry knowledge have helped countless companies grow their equipment finance operations in the U.S. and across the globe.”

“Our new leadership team will expand on his vision, and there is a lot of positive energy with the new CEOs named and Alta’s news last month announcing our new vice chairmen, Paul Menzel and Rick Remiker,” Wajnert noted. “We are looking forward to playing a leading role in serving the next generation of leaders and accelerating our clients’ readiness for the future.”

Distinguished Career

Deane said, “It has been an honor and a privilege to work in such a remarkable industry and with such amazing clients and colleagues,” citing thousands of client engagements and visits to more than 50 countries in the course of his 27 years leading the consultancy he co-founded with Norm Chapman, Bill Montgomery and the late John Giddens.

Prior to The Alta Group, Deane served as a principal in the firm of Amembal, Deane & Associates, a provider of training, educational and consulting services for the equipment finance industry. He served as CEO of both Great Western Leasing and BancOne Leasing and earlier in his career as a CFO and president of several major financial corporations.

Deane’s broad expertise over more than 40 years was fortified by his work as a former chairman of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) and his long-time participation in research, publishing and speaking at events within the global industry.

New Leadership

Jackson has been a leader of Alta’s M&A Practice since 2016 and Gerard, the leader of the Strategy & Competitive Alignment Practice, has been with Alta since 2010. In addition to their new CEO duties both will continue in their practice leadership positions.

The co-CEOs have been a part of the firm’s leading management team along with Francis Maier, the consultancy’s CFO.

“Valerie and Jim are incredibly talented and focused on equipping our clients for continued success,” Wajnert said. “This is an exciting time for Alta and the clients we serve.”

About The Alta Group

The Alta Group is the leading global consultancy dedicated exclusively to the business of equipment leasing and asset finance. Since 1992, Alta has represented equipment leasing and finance companies, vendor/captive finance organizations, financial institutions, manufacturers and service providers, offering counsel on strategy and competitive alignment, asset management, business quality assurance, digital business transformations, legal services, mergers and acquisitions, and professional development. For information on the group’s services in the United States and Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, China, and Asia Pacific, visit www.thealtagroup.com and follow us on Twitter @thealtagroupllc.

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