Building better partnerships in equipment finance at AFC Conference

How captives and banks combine to serve customers better

Partnerships sit at the heart of the equipment finance ecosystem – linking manufacturers, captives, banks and customers in a web of interdependence that shapes how business gets done. But as market demands shift toward speed, service and capital efficiency, what does a good partnership really look like today?

At this year’s AFC UK Autumn Conference on 25th November at County Hall, London, the Equipment Finance stream – moderated by AFC’s Equipment Finance Community Leader John Rees – will explore exactly that question in two focused sessions featuring leaders from Siemens Financial Services, Cisco Capital and BPCE Equipment Solutions UK.

Together, they’ll unpack how manufacturers, captives and funders collaborate to improve customer outcomes, manage risk, and unlock growth in an evolving market.

Building better partnerships in equipment finance

When manufacturers want to offer flexible financing but manage capital efficiently, partnerships between captives and banks come to the fore. These relationships balance differing objectives — OEM sales support, risk appetite, pricing, and service delivery — to create seamless experiences for customers.

Across both sessions, delegates will gain a practical view of:

When OEM captives flex (pricing, stage payments, residuals) to deliver smoother customer journeys
Why manufacturers continue to place volumes with external funders — and how that work is divided
What “good” looks like in partnership models: governance, risk appetite, systems integration, speed and service

Session 1 – Siemens Financial Services: operating as a captive and an independent lender

In this in-depth interview, Julian Hobbs, CEO of Siemens Financial Services sits down with John Rees to explore what it takes to run a finance business that serves both its manufacturing parent and the broader market. As one of the leading players in industrial and technology finance, Siemens Financial Services operates as both a captive and an independent funder, supporting Siemens’ customers while competing across sectors as a standalone lender.

What you’ll take away:

How the captive model delivers value to the manufacturer, funder and end-customer
Where Siemens Financial Services extends its capabilities to fund non-Siemens business
Why the Siemens ecosystem matters to brokers, vendors and customers alike

Session 2 – Cisco and BPCE: a manufacturer–bank partnership in practice

This session, with Richard Parker, EMEA Finance Partner Manager at Cisco Capital and Vincenzo Scalzone, Head of Technology Finance & Wholesale at BPCE Equipment Solutions UK, delves into how Cisco Capital and BPCE Equipment Solutions UK work together to deliver efficient, customer-focused financing. Cisco funds part of its own portfolio while placing other business with BPCE – an arrangement that blends the agility of a captive with the scale and systems of a bank.

Delegates will hear how the two organisations share opportunities, manage risk, and integrate decisioning and workflow systems to streamline customer experiences, particularly in high-volume, smaller-ticket technology finance.

What you’ll take away:

How decision rules guide lending between a captive and a banking partner
How a bank’s scoring, documentation and workflow accelerate OEM sales cycles
What governance and service metrics keep multi-party partnerships running smoothly

Why attend

For anyone involved in vendor finance, asset-based lending or manufacturer partnerships, these sessions offer a rare inside look at how industry leaders are reshaping collaboration models to meet today’s demands. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how partnership structures evolve, and how to apply those insights to your own business.

Date: November 25, 2025
Venue: County Hall, London
Find out more: https://afcconferenceuk.com/Nov25/en/page/asset-finance-connect-homepage
Register now: https://afcconferenceuk.com/Nov25/en/page/book-now