Summit Search Group

About the Organization

Summit Search Group has been retained by Essex Lease Financial Corporation on the recruitment of a Director, Capital Asset Financing. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Essex Lease is an independent equipment financing and asset-based lending company serving industrial businesses across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. With nearly four decades of experience, Essex has built a strong reputation for delivering customized, flexible financing solutions to businesses in industries including agriculture, construction, transportation, oil and gas services, forestry, mining, and manufacturing.

As an independent lender, Essex operates differently from traditional banks. Credit decisions are guided by a deep understanding of each client’s business, not rigid covenant structures or historical cash flow alone. This allows Essex to move quickly, think creatively, and build the kind of long-term, trust-based relationships that define the company’s reputation in the market.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Head of Sales Development and Chief Sales Officer, the Director, Capital Asset Financing is a senior sales and relationship management role focused on growing Essex’s direct and vendor relationships and expanding the organization’s access to customers within key industrial sectors. This is a hands-on business development role for a motivated, relationship-driven professional who brings depth in financial services or equipment leasing and the drive to grow a meaningful book of business within an organization that genuinely differentiates itself from the competition.

The incoming Director will be responsible for identifying and securing new business opportunities in the Manitoba Region while retaining and deepening existing client, dealer, and vendor relationships across Essex’s established industry verticals. The role requires someone equally comfortable conducting strategic account reviews, reviewing financial statements, structuring and presenting complex financing solutions, and proactively prospecting for new opportunities. The successful candidate will bring sound credit judgment, strong negotiation skills, and the kind of authentic relationship-building ability that earns long-term client trust.

Key Responsibilities

• Grow opportunities within Essex’s existing account base through proactive relationship management and identification of new opportunities, while developing new accounts through targeted prospecting, vendor outreach, and industry engagement.
• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with clients, dealers, vendors, and industry partners, serving as a trusted advisor who balances business growth objectives with responsible credit practices and a client-first approach.
• Collect and analyze client financial information, develop and present tailored deal structures, negotiate terms and conditions, and manage transactions through to a successful close.
• Drive business development within industries where Essex has established expertise, including agriculture, construction, transportation, oil and gas services, and manufacturing, expanding both direct and vendor access to customers.
• Provide ongoing market intelligence and competitive assessments to senior leadership, identifying emerging opportunities, sector trends, and risks that inform long-term growth strategy.
• Monitor account health across the portfolio, identifying clients experiencing growth or decline, and collaborate with senior leadership to develop strategies that mitigate risk and maintain account stability.

Qualifications

• 5 to 8 or more years of related experience in financial services, equipment leasing, or banking, with a demonstrated track record of generating new business through prospecting, relationship development, and disciplined account management.
• Proven ability to manage a portfolio of client and vendor relationships, including collecting and analyzing financial statements, structuring deals, and presenting financing solutions to clients and key decision-makers.
• Sound credit judgment with comfort reviewing financial statements and applying lending practices in an asset-based or equipment financing context; ability to balance growth objectives with responsible risk management.
• Strong business development instincts: self-motivated and goal-oriented, with the prospecting discipline, strategic thinking, and closing ability to consistently convert opportunities into revenue.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the professional presence and interpersonal confidence to engage credibly with clients and partners at all levels of an organization.
• Post-secondary degree in Business, Finance, Marketing, Commerce, or a related field is strongly preferred; proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite is required.

For more information or to submit your resume, please reach out to Matt Erhard at Summit Search Group, matt.erhard@summitsearchgroup.com.

Summit Search Group has a strong commitment to Diversity, Equality and Inclusion. We strive for continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors and proactively managing bias throughout our process.