Steven Hudson, FCA, B.B.A., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Mr. Hudson is the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and a director of Element. He has served as Chief Executive Officer of Element since March 2011 and as director and Chairman since April 12, 2010. Mr. Hudson is a member of the Credit Committee of the Board. Mr. Hudson has previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Herbal Magic Inc. ("Herbal Magic"), a provider of commercial weight loss centres with over 270 centers in Canada. Mr. Hudson also previously served as Chief Executive Officer of BeautyFirst ("BeautyFirst") and as Chief Executive Officer of PureBeauty Salons and Boutiques Inc. ("PureBeauty"). Mr. Hudson combined these two companies to be the fourth largest beauty retailer and service provider in the United States. In addition, Mr. Hudson also previously served as Chief Executive Officer for Hair Club for Men and Women Ltd. ("Hair Club"). Mr. Hudson founded Cameron Capital and served as its Chairman. Mr. Hudson founded Newcourt in 1984 and grew it to be a worldwide leader in equipment finance before selling the Newcourt to The CIT Group, Inc. in 1999. Mr. Hudson has served as a director of Altamira e business Funds, Altamira Investment Services Inc., The Altamira Funds, The Altamira RSP Funds, CHC Helicopter Corporation, AGRA Inc. and Newcourt. Mr. Hudson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from York University. In 1996, Mr. Hudson was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40.
James More, LL.B., CIM, Vice Chairman, Senior Executive Vice President, Secretary and Director
Mr. More joined Element as a Senior Executive Vice President in March 2011. He has served as a director of Element since April 12, 2010 and is a member of the Credit Committee of the Board. In 2010, Mr. More became a Managing Partner of Cameron Capital and focused on the recapitalization and corporate development of Element. In 1996, Mr. More joined CIBC World Markets, and in 1998 he became Managing Director of CIBC World Markets' Debt Capital Markets Group where he helped establish and led, over a 10-year period, an origination, structuring and placement group that was responsible for billions of dollars of public and private capital markets placements in a wide variety of industries. In 1992, Mr. More helped establish Scotia Capital Markets' securitization team, where he was responsible for the origination and structuring of term securities. Mr. More articled at the law firm of Davies Ward and Beck and was a partner at the law firm of Daniel and Associates. Mr. More holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University.
Bruce Smith, B.Comm., CA, President, Chief Operating Officer and Director
Mr. Smith is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Element and has served as a member of the Board since June 1, 2011 and is a member of the Credit Committee of the Board. Mr. Smith has over 20 years of financial services experience. From 2006 to 2011 Mr. Smith was the Managing Director and Senior Vice President of Vendor Finance at CIT Financial Ltd. ("CIT"), which provided financing programs to vendors of equipment in the technology, office products and commercial and industrial segments. Mr. Smith is also served as the President and General Manager of Dell Financial Services in Canada, which was a large vendor finance program between CIT and Dell, which provides financing solutions to Dell customers. Prior to this, Mr. Smith held several senior positions at Newcourt. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario.
Michel Beland, BBA, CA, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Beland is the Chief Financial Officer of Element. Mr. Beland has over 25 years of financial experience with a focus on technology, communications and financial services in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. From July 2007 to 2011, Mr. Beland was the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MMV Financial Inc., a private equity-backed speciality finance company that provides effective growth capital to emerging technology and life science companies across North America. Prior to joining MMV Financial Inc., Mr. Beland was a Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Isacsoft Inc. for four years and the Chief Financial Officer of Rogers Wireless, a division of Rogers Communications Inc. Previously, Mr. Beland held several positions with the Newcourt group, including Vice President Finance of Newcourt and Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Financial Officer of Newcourt Group Inc. U.S.A., where he was responsible for its U.S. and international operations. Mr. Beland holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Universite du Quebec. Mr. Beland is a member of the Comptables agrees du Quebec.
J. Stephen Sands, M.B.A., Chief Credit Officer
Mr. Sands has 22 years of banking and leasing industry experience prior to founding Element in 2007. Prior to founding Element, Mr. Sands held senior operational and credit underwriting positions at Mercado Capital Corporation and Maxium Financial Services from 2000 to 2007. Prior to joining Maxium Financial, Mr. Sands was Vice President Commercial and Industrial Finance at Newcourt Credit Group with oversight for a $2 billion vendor finance portfolio. Previously, Mr. Sands held several positions with National Trust Company including Assistant Vice President, Corporate & Commercial Lending where he held management responsibility for a billion dollar portfolio of commercial finance assets. Mr. Sands holds a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Business Administration from the University of Toronto.
Todd Hudson, Executive Vice President, Originations
Mr. Hudson is the Executive Vice President, Originations of Element. Mr Hudson has over 16 years of sales management experience in the Canadian leasing business and is a leader in building relationships. Prior to joining Element in June 2009, Mr. Hudson was the President of Hathway Financial, a finance company that specialized in small to mid-sized commercial credits in the transportation, construction and industrial equipment markets. Prior to founding Hathway Financial in 2003, Mr. Hudson held key roles at Newcourt and CIT, where he was responsible for National Vendor programs in the transportation, construction and automotive groups. Mr. Hudson attended Brock University.
Michel Gratton, Senior Vice President, Quebec
Mr. Gratton is the Senior Vice President, Quebec of Element. Mr. Gratton has over 40 years of banking and leasing industry experience. From 2007 to 2009 Mr. Gratton served as President of Gestion Centria Capital, Inc., a management company responsible for the daily operations of three limited partnerships providing interim funding to the residential construction industry with approximately $90 million in assets under management. From 1994 to 2007 Mr. Gratton was the Founding President of Brome Financial Corporation Inc., an asset-based lending services, factoring and leasing company that provided services to over 500 small and medium-sized businesses in Ontario and Quebec. Mr. Gratton was also President and Co-Founder of Capda Capital Corporation from 1991 to 1994 and from 1981 to 1991 served as Senior Vice President of Commercial Capital Corporation, a company he was also a shareholder in. Mr. Gratton currently serves as the President of the St. Lambert Commercial Development Corporation, a role he has held since 2007. Mr. Gratton holds a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) from College Sainte-Marie and a Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.