2026 Agenda
Monday, May 11th
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Registration & Networking Breakfast
📍 Foyer, Griffin Ballroom
Meet your peers, enjoy a light breakfast, and prepare for a day of insights.
Sponsored by:
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM – Opening Remarks
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
Event CEO:
Event Co-Chair:
Event Vice Chair:
9:15 AM – 10:15 AM – Session 1: Keynote Panel – The State of Auto ABS in 2026
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
- Subprime and prime credit bifurcation
- Issuer performance divergence
- Spread dynamics and relative value
- Capital structure resilience
Panelists:
- Kayvan Darouian, Director of Consumer ABS Research, Deutsche Bank
- Michael Girard, Senior Director, Asset-Backed Securities North America, Fitch Ratings
- Robert Machanic, VP Capital Markets & Treasury, Global Lending Services
- James Schofield, President & Chief Operating Officer, Toyota Financial Savings Bank
Moderator:
10:15 AM – 10:45 AM – Session 2: Fireside Chat with Bennie Duck, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Stellantis Financial Services
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
Bennie Duck, will sit down for a fireside chat on funding execution, treasury strategies, technology advancements, and market dynamics.
Moderator:
Sponsored by:
10:45 AM – 11:15 AM – Networking Break
📍 Foyer, Griffin Ballroom
Sponsored by:
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM – Session 3 Panel: Commercial Financing & Capital Optimization
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
- Lender access to diversified funding, including warehouse, floorplan, revolving facilities
- Term vs. revolver structures
- Performance-based pricing and covenant trends
- Compliance impacts on treasury operations
Panelists:
- Curtis Ash, Chief Financial Officer, Rizz Lending
- Jeff Gluntz, Director – Structured Finance, Park National Bank
- Robert Smith, Managing Director, Stifel
- Vadim Verkhoglyad, VP, Head of Research, dv01
Guest Moderator:
11:45 AM – 12:30 PM – Session 4 Panel: The Investor Perspective – Pricing Risk in 2026
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
- Risk-based pricing in subprime and deep subprime
- Lessons from Tricolor
- Appetite for bespoke and illiquid deals
- Spreads vs. corporates and relative value discussion
Panelists:
- Ines Beato, Associate Managing Director & Sector Lead, Morningstar DBRS
- Andrew Butville, Senior Director – ABS Sector Lead, MetLife Investment Management
- Garrett Connor, Finance Manager, Nextgear Capital
Moderator:
12:30 PM – 1:45 PM – Networking Lunch
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
Enjoy lunch with peers, sponsors, and speakers in a relaxed setting, featuring a presentation from Robert McDonald, Managing Director, Head of Credit Solutions at Pagaya.
Sponsored by:
1:45 PM – 2:15 PM – Session 5 Presentation: Affordability, Inflation, and the Consumer Credit Divide
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
- Delinquencies and payment behavior across vintages
- Inflation-adjusted income trends and affordability metrics
- Gen Z and Millennial borrower risks
- Loan extension trends and their capital impact
Presenter:
Guest Moderator:
2:15 PM – 3:00 PM – Session 6 Panel: Emerging Players & Private Credit in Auto Finance
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
- The rise of PE/VC-backed originators
- Structural innovation in term deals
- Servicing complexity and scalability
- Where capital markets and fintech intersect
Panelists:
- Peter Frank, Managing Director, i80
- Robert McDonald, Managing Director, Head of Credit Solutions, Pagaya
- Christopher Mitcham, Head of Dealer Commercial Services, Santander Bank N.A.
- Carlos Prevolis, Managing Director – Consumer & Small Business Lending, Bayview Asset Management
Guest Moderator:
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM – Afternoon Break
📍 Foyer, Griffin Ballroom
Sponsored by:
3:30 PM – 4:15 PM – Session 7 Panel: Building a More Effective Treasury Operation
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
- Training new professionals in complex funding structures
- Knowledge-sharing in a remote/hybrid world
- Treasury risk frameworks and compliance alignment
- Mentor/mentee models and team scalability
Panelists:
- Andrew Coffey, SVP Enterprise Sales, Concord
- Paul Honda, Chief Financial Officer, American Honda Finance Corporation
- Victor Pausin, Treasurer, Nissan Motor Acceptance Company
- Jason Person, Chief Financial Officer, SAFCO
Moderator:
4:15 PM – 4:45 PM – Session 8 Panel: Using advanced data, analytics and credit scores to drive greater transparency and execution in ABS issuance, presented by VantageScore
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
- Trends in data and credit score usage that foster enhanced visibility
- Configuring analytics tools for better results
- Understanding current investor expectations
PANELISTS:
MODERATOR:
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM – Cocktail Reception & Networking Mixer
📍 Pool Deck, JW Marriott
Unwind with fellow attendees and keep the conversation going over drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
Sponsored by:
Tuesday, May 12th
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Networking Breakfast
📍 Auto Finance Summit East Exhibit Hall, Symphony Ballroom
Meet your peers, enjoy a light breakfast, and prepare for a day of insights.
9:00 AM – 9:15 AM – Opening Remarks
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
9:15 AM – 9:45 AM – Session 9* – Fireside Chat with Kevin Cullum, president & CEO of Nissan Motor Acceptance Company
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
Kevin Cullum will take the stage to discuss sales and finance strategy execution, technology advancements, and market expectations for the remainder of the year.
Moderator:
* This session is a part of the Auto Finance Summit East agenda, and is accessible to Auto Finance Capital Summit attendees.
9:45 AM – 10:30 AM – Session 10* – Executive dialogue on strategies for the next era in auto finance
📍 General Session, Griffin Ballroom
Senior executives from some of the nation’s largest auto financiers gather to discuss inflation, squeezed credit markets, automation innovation, and affordability concerns.
* This session is a part of the Auto Finance Summit East agenda, and is accessible to Auto Finance Capital Summit attendees.
Panelists:
- Jeffrey Butler, President, AutoNation Finance
- Duane Freeman, SVP Client Direct Sales Executive, Bank of America
- Joseph Portera, Head of Sales – Auto, Capital One
- Laurinda Rainey, Head of Consumer & Digital Channels, Chase Auto
Moderator:
10:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Networking Break
📍 Auto Finance Summit East Exhibit Hall, Symphony Ballroom
11:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Session 11 Presentation: Capital Stress Testing – Tariffs, Volatility & Tail Risk
📍Breakout, Emory
- Pricing pressures influencing yields
- Consolidation impacts
- Current and future loss assumptions
- Scenario modeling in treasury planning
Event Co-Chair & Presenter:
Moderator:
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM – Session 12 Panel: Trust But Verify: Trustees and Title Verification After Tricolor
📍Breakout, Emory
- The scourge of double-counting assets
- Compliance guidelines
- Best practices for better risk management in warehouse funding
- Methods for avoiding credit failures
Panelists:
Moderator:
12:15 PM – Closing Remarks
📍Breakout, Emory
Recap of major takeaways and a look ahead to upcoming events.
12:30 PM Summit Ends