Delegates at First Annual Conference see Education, Diversity as key issues for 2014

Almost 90% of the delegates who responded to a survey asking for feedback on The Leasing Foundation First Annual Conference will consider attending the Foundation’s next conference, which will be held in Europe in October 2014.

Of those surveyed, over 70% want to see a continued focus on education and diversity as the Foundation moves forward, and and over 80% want to be involved in the Foundation’s philanthropic work.

The survey, conducted online after the event, also revealed that delegates would like to explore several issues in more depth next year including technology, managed services, the role of compliance and the Foundation’s approach to developing leadership talent.

Andrew Denton, Foundation CEO, says: “This was our first event and was incredibly helpful in giving us a baseline to work from. What we now know is that moving away from the traditional format was a welcome change, focusing in detail on topics that will shape the future of the industry – education, research, diversity – was seen as challenging but engaging, and that our Governors and Fellows were willing to commit their valuable time to help us build a new kind of event. Next year we will do better, and we’ll be setting the bar higher than before in creating an event where real conversations can take place and the future of the industry can be defined”.

Of the initiatives launched at the conference, the Leasing Foundation Future Leaders was seen as particularly relevant with 40% of those surveyed responding that they would support the initiatively corporately. Over 60% of those surveyed would also support research projects such as the Asset Finance Observatory and Redefining the Leasing Industry as individual Governors and Fellows.

“We are enormously grateful for the enthusiastic support of our Governors and Fellows” says Denton. “Not just for attending our First Annual Conference, but for helping us create a new kind of organisation that we hope will change the way the industry works and is seen to work”.

Download the full release as PDF.