The PowerSports Finance Summit is pleased to have announced the recipients of the 2024 PowerSports Finance Achievement Awards in Las Vegas on October 10.

Now in its second year, the awards program honors individuals and companies that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in powersports finance, promoting excellence across the industry. These awards recognize leaders for their contributions in areas such as lifetime achievement, community engagement, product and operational innovation, and pioneering business ventures. By celebrating these successes, the PowerSports Finance Achievement Awards aim to inspire professionals throughout the industry to reach new heights in delivering value to powersports customers.

This year, three distinguished awards have been presented to Synchrony Financial, Harley-Davidson Financial Services, and Jason Guss of Octane Lending, recognizing their outstanding achievements in performance, innovation, and leadership.

Synchrony Financial
Award for Performance

Susan Medrano, SVP and General Manager of Synchrony Outdoors, accepted the award on behalf of Synchrony.

The first PowerSports Finance Achievement Award for performance goes to Synchrony Financial, whose achievements over the past year have set a benchmark in the industry. Despite a challenging economic environment, Synchrony’s consumer lending division delivered robust growth, achieving a 7.9% increase in loan receivables in the second quarter of 2024, with outstanding loans surpassing $102 billion.

Synchrony has also demonstrated leadership by leveraging alternative data to gain deeper insights into customer needs, allowing it to enhance responsible lending practices. Additionally, Synchrony expanded its relationship with Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) this year, adding BRP to its list of exclusive financing partners, alongside prominent brands like Kawasaki, Polaris, and Suzuki.

These accomplishments underscore Synchrony’s commitment to powersports finance, and the PowerSports Finance Summit is pleased to present the 2024 Achievement Award for Performance to Synchrony Financial.  Susan Medrano, SVP and General Manager of Synchrony Outdoors, accepted the award on behalf of Synchrony.

Harley-Davidson Financial Services
Award for Innovation

Yordanka Martin, Chief Risk Officer, accepted the award on behalf of Harley-Davidson.

The 2024 Award for Innovation is presented to Harley-Davidson Financial Services for launching its Flex Financing program, which has introduced a new, flexible way to finance Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Launched in February 2024, Flex Financing combines the advantages of monthly payments and shorter terms with the option for consumers to return the motorcycle at the end of the term, similar to a lease structure. It also allows for ownership, trade-in, refinancing, or return, and is available for Harley’s electric vehicle (EV) models under its LiveWire brand.

This innovative financing solution offers a fresh, consumer-friendly approach in the powersports industry. In recognition of this milestone in product development, the PowerSports Finance Summit is honored to present the 2024 Achievement Award for Innovation to Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Yordanka Martin, Chief Risk Officer, accepted the award on behalf of Harley-Davidson.

Jason Guss, CEO of Octane Lending
Award for Leadership

Jason Guss accepting the 2024 Achievement Award for Leadership via video.

The 2024 PowerSports Finance Achievement Award for Leadership is awarded to Jason Guss, CEO and co-founder of Octane Lending, in recognition of his visionary leadership and the remarkable growth Octane Lending has achieved under his direction. Since its launch in 2014, Octane Lending, comprising Roadrunner Financial, Octane Media, and Roadrunner Account Services, has been a catalyst for transformation in the powersports finance industry.

Over the past year, Octane has enhanced its user experience, introduced the Prequal Flex product to streamline the originations process, integrated optical character recognition for better document handling, and adopted generative AI to optimize internal operations. In a further vote of confidence from the investment community, Octane raised an additional $50 million in venture funding in Q2 2024, bringing total capital raised to $242 million since its inception.

Jason Guss’s leadership has positioned Octane at the forefront of innovation, expanding access to powersports financing while simplifying processes for dealer partners. The PowerSports Finance Summit is proud to present the 2024 Achievement Award for Leadership to Jason Guss.