Finance Connect Podcast: James Rudolf on Acquis’ international growth, data and AI

The latest episode of the Finance Connect European Equipment Finance Podcast, sponsored by Alfa, is now available, featuring James Rudolf, Chief Commercial Officer at Acquis.

Joining host Richard O’Donohue, Rudolf discusses the evolution of Acquis, its expansion across Europe and the US, and how data and AI are creating new opportunities for the asset finance industry.

Founded in 2009, Acquis specialises in providing insurance programmes to bank-owned asset finance businesses, independents and captives. Today, the business employs around 125 people and operates across 17 countries, with offices including Newport, Amsterdam, Paris and Philadelphia.

Rudolf explains how Acquis’ European expansion initially grew from relationships with existing UK clients that needed support across other markets. Rather than treating Europe as a single market, he highlights the importance of understanding the different regulatory, cultural and leasing environments within individual countries – and of having people on the ground.

The conversation also explores the development of Acquis Data Services and how an industry-wide challenge around visibility of customer indebtedness led to the creation of a shared debt register for the UK asset finance market.

Rudolf discusses how the service is evolving beyond underwriting towards portfolio monitoring and considers how greater data sharing could help the industry tackle other challenges in the future.

AI is another important theme. Rather than discussing its potential in abstract terms, Rudolf shares examples of how Acquis is already exploring predictive AI to identify patterns that could indicate future fraud or other risks, alongside applications including document reading, translation and workflow automation. He also considers whether the industry’s next step should be to use AI not simply to automate existing processes, but to develop entirely new ways of working.

Looking ahead, Rudolf expects technology to improve efficiency across the industry but believes asset finance will remain fundamentally a people business, with personal relationships continuing to play a critical role as Acquis develops across Europe and the US.

The full episode is available now on the Finance Connect European Equipment Finance Podcast, sponsored by Alfa, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and Amazon Music