In the process of IAA’s engagements, it is sometimes the case that additional specialisations may be required. Therefore, we have developed over the years a close working relationship with certain individuals and firms who can bring complementary skill sets and where we have a very high confidence in their abilities.
Founder
Derek Soper brings more than five decades of experience in global leasing and asset finance, banking and financial services to IAA-Advisory. Few can match his breadth and depth of expertise: this has been recognised by the leasing and asset finance industry with Derek being named on ‘Most Influential’ lists in Europe & China.
Derek has worked with companies at all stages of development and maturity: He has launched and managed both start-ups and established leasing and financing companies in Europe and Asia-Pacific. He has successfully navigated the complex world of mergers and acquisitions; and the subsequent re-engineering and consolidation of business operations. He has extensive experience of structured finance, project and taxbased funding activities as well as substantial vendor financing knowledge.
Derek is the founding director of many successful leasing companies, including AT&T Capital in Europe and Asia, and the leasing subsidiaries of Barclays, Kleinwort Benson and the Midland Bank. He has wide-ranging contacts and keen industry intelligence built through decades of networking with the top executives in the international banking and leasing industry.
Derek served as Chairman of UK Equipment Leasing Association (now the Finance and Leasing Association). He was a member of the Council of Leaseurope; the Industry Future Council of the Equipment and Leasing and Finance Association of America; and the Finance House Association of Hong Kong. Derek is a Fellow of the UK Institute of Directors and a Freeman of the City of London.
Derek returned to the UK from Hong Kong in 1998 and established International Advisory Associates, now IAA-Advisory, where he now serves as ‘Founder’. Immediately prior to his return from Hong Kong established a network of companies for AT&T Capital in China, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Singapore. He has served as an advisor to the boards of several large financial institutions and banks. He is a joint founder of the Captives Forum and the Leasing Foundation; a Patron of the AFPATrust, and joint author of ‘The Leasing Handbook’ published by McGraw Hill and ‘Leasing Deconstructed’ published by Grosvenor House.
Core
Lindsay has over 45 years’ experience of the asset finance and leasing industry. He has had direct involvement with almost all sectors of the industry, ranging from point-of-sale consumer auto through to high value cross-border marine, rail, and aerospace. He has held senior roles in various organisations, including Barclays, Lloyds, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Before taking early retirement in 2009, Lindsay led a wide portfolio of asset finance and leasing businesses for Bank of Scotland/HBOS which at their peak consisted of over £18bn of funded assets and more than 2,250 colleagues.
Lindsay has worked both in the UK and USA and he was previously a Board Director of the Finance & Leasing Association and is a Fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute. He was honoured to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 at the Leasing Life Annual Conference.
Currently serving his county as High Sheriff of Somerset in 2019/20. Also established Asset Finance Management Solutions as an Independent strategic and operational consultancy. An experienced senior management financial services and systems consultancy professional with a background in captive, vendor finance, portfolio outsourcing and software sales and marketing leadership. Understands how systems can be deployed to enable improved sales and operational effectiveness for originators, funders and all parts of the lending supply chain.
Has a unique insight into what creates shareholder value for buyers and sellers being involved as a Director in a number of M&A deals over the last decade and as part owner in one
John Batty is an expert in Credit & Risk Management with a 35-year track record in international banking, leasing and asset finance. He has lived in China, Germany, Greece, the US and the UK and worked for major US, UK, Japanese, German and Greek financial institutions. His broad experience of different cultures and business environments helps him to operate well in new markets and with novel transactions.
John is a commercially driven Credit & Risk specialist. He is comfortable in an operating role at executive management level; he excels when challenged to devise creative solutions to complex, structured, asset based deals. He combined these skills in two recent roles:
As advisor to a US private equity group for its investment in a leasing business based in Shanghai. This required a new business strategy and the leadership to make the transition.
Working with an Australian bank: they needed a business plan for its Chinese leasing subsidiary to deliver a risk-controlled origination process.
John also has extensive Mergers and Acquisitions experience. He represented GE Capital in a series of acquisitions of financial and captive leasing companies in France, Germany, the UK, Italy, the Nordic countries, Ireland and Switzerland. A notable success was in structuring a multi-billion dollar bankruptcy-remote captive vehicle for a US office equipment manufacturer.
Specialist Associations
Business transformation specialist working across the spectrum from strategy, through implementation and into BAU. Successfully managed regulatory and privatisation projects as well as IT systems, people and process change management programmes. Asset & Project Finance expert, successfully negotiating and concluding contracts as both financier and borrower in both public and private markets. Financing, tax & regulatory experience in UK, EU & US transactions.
Stakeholder management, good & trusted communicator with a variety of stakeholders – PE investors, Stock Exchange investors, Banks & other funders, Government & their agencies.
Corporate structuring expertise, developed and implemented several corporate restructuring programmes saving costs through organisational & treasury efficiencies
Nigel is a qualified accountant and brings over 30 years leasing experience spanning the range from direct providers to structuring firms. He has gained considerable front line experience from having worked with organisations such as Airlease International, Kleinwort Benson, AT&T Capital, Citibank, New Boston Partners and Babcock & Brown. Latterly Nigel was with HSBC where he was responsible for a wide range of asset finance solutions for both the UK and global clients as well as developing a specialised skill in energy related financing. Nigel has a deep understanding of the structuring of asset finance transactions as well as a very strong organisational and risk orientated skill base.
Known to many in the industry as James Hennessy; James consistently delivers client added value based on critical thinking and analysis of complex financial projects; professional integrity and rigour in acting in the best interests of clients; developing new business opportunities and reputation in the community of professional advisors; in-depth market and taxation knowledge; New product innovation; and big ticket project leadership and team development.
James joined Hambros from University and, after passing through their graduate training program, worked in the leasing and asset finance department, focusing on new product development backed by rigorous numerical analysis. James has worked with a number of high-profile financial organisations; MVP Asset Management, New Boston Partners, Challenge Partnership and Warrender Advisers Limited.
University of Bristol
1987 – 1990 – B. Eng. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Eton College
1981 – 1986
Chris has over 35 years’ experience in the leasing markets. He has built a strong emphasis on high value complex transactions where he is particularly skilled in structuring and execution of multiple party and jurisdiction transactions. Chris also has a special interest in complex taxation challenges and the restructuring of existing leases, optimising potential benefit and mitigating risk from both a taxation and accounting perspective. He has a wide industry experience including marine and transportation, and has developed extensive experience in the U.K. regulated sectors of water and energy where he structured and arranged the first ‘green/sustainable’ U.K. finance leases.
IAA Alliances
Links and information about our Alliances
AFPA Trust
What are the AF-PA Vision and Aims?
AF-PA was formed to support the Asset Finance industry and those professionals, from the most senior to the most junior, who work within it. The AF-PA vison is to give back (through networking and charitable events) to all Asset Finance professionals, local communities and good causes).
The association’s aims are:
To promote the highest professional standards and sharing of best practices within the Asset Finance markets
Facilitate networking events, introductions and the vehicles for individuals to realise their personal & professional goals
To highlight and raise funds for charitable causes, both large and small
What are our Values?
The highest levels of integrity in everything we do
Deliver a great customer experience…every time – talk their language
Every person counts – supporting everyone to maximise their potential
To give back – both in community involvement and charitable donations
Who is AF-PA For?
The Association is open to all Asset Finance industry individuals (it is not for corporate or organisational membership). Our members have different working roles, titles and come mainly from the banking, lessor, brokering, captives, funders and service organisations within the Asset Finance arena. There are no political agendas and AF-PA prides itself on its democratic approach.
How does it work in practice?
AF-PA Trust arranges lunch meetings, social fund-raising events, sporting events and formal dinners. Funds that are raised are donated to both large and smaller local charities, particularly where a significant difference can be made
Captives Forum
An innovative Trade Association – The Forum of Manufacturers’ Finance Companies Ltd (The Captives Forum) – was launched in August 2009. This unique Europe-wide association brought together the finance subsidiaries of many of the world’s major manufacturing companies.
Equipment financing is an undisputed major part of the product offerings of many manufacturers, either direct to their customers or via a distributor network, and it is appropriate that there should be a forum to champion this significant channel to market. Equipment manufacturers often have particular issues which are rarely represented by trade associations when matters such as ‘regulation’ or ‘proposed accounting changes’ are being addressed.
The idea of a captives group was the brainchild of Pitney Bowes and Xerox and resulted in many of the sales finance organisations owned by the major manufacturing companies operating across Europe becoming informal members of a group. This has now been formalised as The Captives Forum.
The Captives Forum is registered in the UK and meetings take place throughout Europe, usually at the offices of one of the member finance companies. Day-to-day management is undertaken by John Batty of IAA-Advisory Ltd – we have been instrumental in supporting the development of The Captives Forum from its inception.
The Captives Forum has an Executive Committee, currently Chaired by Richard Kinsey of Caterpillar with Sharon Butler of Hewlett Packard as Deputy Chair. Other Committee Members include John Ryan of Dell, Henning Dierks of Sandvik and Johan Hoff of Volvo.
Mission Statement and Objectives
“The European Captives Forum provides a service to the captive sales financing subsidiaries and divisions of equipment manufacturing companies by helping to establish a favourable operating environment; by providing a forum for discussion on non-competitive issues; and by providing information to assist them in their business.”