Episode #298 Fireside chat with Greg Bourdon COO and Co Founder of Elm Blue Equipment Finance.

Greg Bourdon, COO and Co-Founder of ElmBlue Equipment Finance, joins Jesse Johnson on this week’s Fireside Chats with Jesse. Greg has spent more than 20 years in equipment finance, beginning his career at Direct Capital before continuing through the company’s transitions to CIT and First Citizens Bank. After years in sales, business development, strategy and leadership, Greg decided to take what he had learned and help build something new. In this episode, Greg and Jesse discuss the launch and rapid growth of ElmBlue Equipment Finance, what changes when you move from a large bank platform back to an independent, and how culture, technology and training are shaping the company they are building. Topics covered in this episode include: Greg’s path from medical device sales into equipment finance More than 20 years at Direct Capital, CIT and First Citizens Why Greg, Jake Broome and Paul Rennie decided to launch ElmBlue Growing ElmBlue from three founders into a rapidly scaling organization Moving from a sales background into the COO role Building the “ElmBlue Way” and creating 360-degree training across sales, credit and operations Why understanding the entire lifecycle of a transaction makes people better at their jobs The differences between banks and independent equipment finance companies The infrastructure and support banks provide versus the speed and flexibility of an independent How technology is making it easier for new small-ticket finance companies to compete and scale Building a vendor-focused business and earning trust one relationship at a time Creating a culture where employees can make decisions, take ownership and learn from mistakes Why Greg believes availability, responsiveness and doing what you say you will do still matter Greg also shares one of the more unique fun facts we have had on the show. He holds a commercial pilot’s license, lives at a small airport and, depending on the weather, occasionally flies himself to work. One theme that comes through throughout the conversation is trust. Greg talks about earning the trust of vendors, customers and employees, being available when people need you and building an organization that can move quickly without sacrificing discipline or doing things the right way. Fireside Chats with Jesse features conversations with leaders throughout the equipment finance industry discussing leadership, sales, technology, operations, entrepreneurship, relationships and the future of equipment finance. Thank you to our Fireside Chat series sponsors: Consult Disrupt, Liventus, Inc. and Equipment Finance Cares. #EquipmentFinance #EquipmentLeasing #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #CommercialFinance #ElmBlue #FiresideChatswithJesse