Steve Crane, CLP, the Outdoorsman Leasing News Advisory Board Member Biograph
Steve Crane, CLP, has known Kit Menkin since his days at CIT, Taylor Leasing, and this year celebrates 13 years with Bank of the West Leasing. Steve travels the United States, located out of Bank of the West’s Walnut Creek offices, San Francisco Bay Area, California. He has many friends in the business and is well-known and respected in the equipment leasing industry. Steve joined the Leasing News Advisory Board on July 10, 2000. He has been active in sponsoring conference calls, attending meetings and promoting our trade publication. He travels more and more, for his bank, seems to enjoy seeing his many friends in the leasing business, but he will be the first to tell you he would rather be with his family. His main love is his family, then the outdoors. "I enjoy doing many things with my family including cooking, watching movies, traveling and attending sporting events,” he said. He celebrates 25 years marriage this year to his college sweetheart, Cheryl, planning a special trip, perhaps to South America, he says.
They have two children: Ryan, who is a sophomore at Chico State. “I am still active in the Boy Scouts as Assistant Scoutmaster in Troop 444 in Concord…currently serving as a merit badge counselor and mentoring Scouts on their Eagle Projects.” he said. “My son Ryan is an Eagle Scout. Alex is working on his Eagle Service Project and should soon earn the Eagle rank.”
Steve with his son Alex near the Clouds Rest peak in Yosemite, overlooking half dome. He and his sons are planning in August, to ascend Mt. Whitney with his sons, the highest mountain in the lower 48 states.. "I love the outdoors and am an avid runner, cyclist, swimmer, backpacker and skier. I particularly like to backpack, canoe, and hike. Steve keeps in shape as a “recreational runner,” typically doing three to five miles daily, even when he travels. The year before he competed in the New York City Marathon, 26.2 miles.
“I am currently training for the Vineman 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Sonoma County in July ,” he said.” I did this same race last year too as well as some Olympic distance triathlons” Leasing News ask him four questions to answer, as also given to the other advisory board members: (1) What was the biggest issue you currently face in your business? “My opinion is that the biggest issue that our industry currently faces is the economy. In the past several years our industry has experienced good times, and portfolios have performed relatively well. As the economy continues to soften, portfolios will feel the impact, and delinquencies will rise. Fortunately, at Bank of the West our credit culture has mitigated exposure to the credit environment; however, other companies have not been so fortunate. I believe that the industry will continue to experience a shakeout for the next year or so, and then return to some degree of normalcy.” (2) What advice would you give a younger person entering the field? "Find an area that is of interest to you, that you can have fun with, and focus on it completely. Learn everything you can about it and become an “expert in your field”. I have been in the leasing business for over 25 years and the most successful and happiest people that I have met are the ones that have found a niche and exploited it.” (3) What attributes do you possess that contribute to your success? "I feel that the two key attributes to my success are having a positive attitude, and honesty. Being in sales and marketing it is important to be approachable and comfortable talking with people. It is also important that the people you are dealing with get straight answers, even if it means giving them news that they don’t want to hear. I believe that if you have the ability to communicate with people in a candid and honorable way, it will gain you respect. As my friend and mentor Russ Rickards always said, “It’s not what you say but how you say it.” And as I go through life I have found that there is more truth than poetry to this statement.” (4) What do you want to do before you die? "This is a tough one for me – I would like to say that I want to climb Mount Everest or finish the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, but that is probably unrealistic due to my advanced age. Realistically, my family means the world to me! My one wish before I die is to see my two sons have happy marriages, raise families, and my wife and I to attend our grandchildren’s weddings – even if in a wheelchairs”
Steve Crane, CLP Biography: Steve Crane has been in the equipment leasing industry for over 25 years. He currently holds the position of Vice President and Marketing Manager for Bank of the West in the San Francisco area, where he has been for almost 13 years. "I thoroughly enjoy my job and Bank of the West and working with the numerous brokers and lessors from whom we source our business as well as the wonderful group of people in my office." Prior to this, Steve spent 9 years as a principal in Taylor Financial, an equipment lessor in Oakland, California. He has also worked at CIT, Ingersoll-Rand Financial and Westinghouse Credit in various capacities. Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the California State University, Sacramento in Finance and Marketing and earned his Certified Lease Professional (CLP) designation in 1999. He served on the executive board of the CLP foundation for three years, holding the positions of Treasurer (2004) and President (2005) In 2003, he was elected to the Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors board of directors. In 2004, he served as Conference Chair for the UAEL Fall Conference in Monterey. He is proud to note that he attends many of the Association of Government Leasing and Finance, Eastern Association of Equipment Lessors, Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, National Association of Equipment Leasing Broker, and United Association of Equipment Leasing conferences and meetings.
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