Alfa returns as headline sponsor of Finance Connect Leaders’ Summit Europe 2026

Alfa is proud to return as headline sponsor of the Finance Connect Leaders’ Summit Europe 2026, taking place on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, at the KölnSKY venue in Cologne, Germany.

This exclusive, invitation-only Summit is recognised as the premier gathering for C-level executives and senior leaders across the asset, auto, and equipment finance sectors. As our industry navigates a time of intense transformation – from funding model disruption to regulatory change and digital innovation – this year’s Summit promises to deliver fresh thinking, strategic insights and collaborative action.

Addressing the future of finance

The 2026 agenda brings together financiers, captives, fintechs, investors and policy influencers to examine how the European auto and equipment finance landscape is being reshaped – and what’s needed to thrive in this new era.

Key themes on the agenda include:

• Geopolitics and economic uncertainty – how shifting global trade dynamics, policy priorities and macroeconomic volatility are reshaping strategy for auto and equipment finance leaders
• Risk, resilience and fraud prevention – strengthening operational resilience in the face of rising cyber risk, fraud and broader operational threats
• Funding models under pressure – the growing role of private credit and alternative capital as wholesale bank appetite tightens across Europe
• Regulation and competitiveness – navigating evolving EU policy, regulatory simplification and competitiveness agendas in a changing political climate
• Digital transformation and data strategy – leveraging technology, automation and AI to modernise origination, credit decisioning and operating models
• Leadership and collaboration in a changing market – how banks, captives, independents and technology partners can collaborate to drive sustainable growth and innovation

The format will include keynote interviews, roundtable discussions, research-led panels and focused breakout sessions – providing a platform for leaders to challenge assumptions, share lessons and shape new strategies.

In the afternoon’s session, sponsored by Alfa, Leon Atkins, Head of Product (Commercial Finance) at Alfa, will be joined by a panel of experts toexplore how private credit is increasingly reshaping the funding landscape for asset, auto and equipment finance across Europe, as traditional bank appetite for wholesale funding becomes more constrained.

Once primarily associated with acquisitions and balance sheet growth, private credit is now being used alongside bank funding to provide junior or risk-absorbing capital within more complex structured facilities, creating both new opportunities and new expectations for lenders.

The panel will examine what this shift means in practical terms for banks and manufacturer captives, why asset and equipment finance remains an underrepresented segment of the private credit universe and how access to this growing pool of capital is becoming ever more dependent on the quality of data, reporting, transparency and technology platforms that underpin lending operations.

We’re delighted to see many respected leaders already confirmed to speak at the 2026 Leaders’ Summit, including:

• Pascal Layan, deputy CEO at BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions
• Richard Knubben, director general at Leaseurope
• Marcella Merli, head of CA Auto Bank Italy
• Michaele Stewart, senior manager at Mazda Financial Services
• Katrin Puettmann, CEO, FMIT Technologies
• Ian Dennis, head of EV fleet at Zenobe
• Mark Byrne, global director, pay per use at DLL
• Carlos Ribeiro, managing director – UK & Ireland at Volvo Financial Services
• Mathilde Saint Pol, managing director – technology management & financing at Econocom France
• Manish Shah, senior advisor at Alvarez & Marsal
• Wolfgang Köhne, senior vice president at KION Financial Services
• Ivo Ljubica, CEO at Toyota Financial Services
• And many more to be announced shortly.

Pre-Summit gathering

The evening before the event, Alfa will host an exclusive pre-Summit gathering at  Art’otel Cologne from 8pm – a relaxed, social opportunity for networking with fellow delegates and speakers. We hope to see you there.

As Europe’s premier asset finance event for senior leaders, the Finance Connect Leaders’ Summit Europe 2026 offers more than just insights – it provides an essential space for collaboration at a time of transformation. At Alfa, we’re proud to support a platform that enables bold discussion, practical innovation and new partnerships across the industry.

We look forward to welcoming you to KölnSKY in Cologne on 10 March for another impactful Summit.

Register for your free place today here or email: louiseclavey@finance-connect.com

For more information on the agenda and speakers, visit the Finance Connect Leaders’ Summit Europe 2026 website.