We are looking for five people early in their careers in specialist finance to speak at this year’s Finance Connect Autumn Conference on 24 November 2026 in front of an audience of up to 700 lenders and brokers.
Participants can come from organisations across asset finance and specialist finance, including equipment finance, auto finance and receivables finance. All participants will receive free public speaking training.
Why speak
The same people have been setting the agenda in specialist finance for a long time. That is not because nobody else has anything to say – it is because speaking up can seem harder than it is. Seven minutes, prepared properly and with training behind you can have an impact long after the event: people will know who you are and what you think.
What to speak about
The conference theme is Where is the Growth? You do not have to speak about growth. You should speak about something you think the industry needs to hear and is not hearing – how it recruits and develops people, how it treats customers, what it is getting wrong about technology or anything else you have a view on. The topic is yours but make it original.
What you do
Write one side of A4 maximum. Tell us your topic, the argument you want to make and why it matters. We are looking for a clear argument and a point of view, not a polished proposal.
What we do
Five applicants will be selected to speak. Before the conference, we’ll run a training session to help you prepare and deliver your talk. On the day, you’ll have seven minutes on the main stage, and the five of you will take questions together at the end.
Who can apply
Anyone working in specialist finance, at any organisation, who is early in their career. You do not need to have spoken in public before. Most of our speakers hadn’t, the first time.
Know someone who would be perfect for this? Please encourage them to apply. It could be a great chance for someone in your team or network to share their ideas and make their voice heard across the industry.
How to apply
Deadline: Close of play Monday 26 October 2026.
Public speaking training: this will take place on 10 November so please bear this in mind when applying as you will need to be available for this.
Send your proposal to hello@leasingfoundation.org
For any questions, contact c.downing@mspcapital.co.uk
Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel, and we’ll let everyone know the outcome by Tuesday 27 October.
