Name:  

Pat O’Connor

Title:

Director Business Development (F&B, Franchise & Cannabis)  

Where are you from, originally?

Mattapoisett, MA

How did you find LeaseQ?

I was online looking for interviews and fell in love with the LeaseQ concept and business model. LeaseQ seemed like a great place to make a career and position yourself as a key part of a company’s growth, especially during its early stages. My background is in financial planning and working with business owners, so the transition was pretty easy.

What do you like most about working at LeaseQ?

I like that LeaseQ is a startup company disrupting the marketplace with a very fast-paced work environment. Combining technology and finance to streamline processes in an outdated industry is exciting, and I enjoy the challenge to beat the market and position ourselves as the leaders in equipment finance automation and solutions. Every day is different, with a new project or challenge to overcome, which makes the work week engaging, quick and enjoyable.

Any favorite lender/borrower stories worth sharing?

CutThroat Kitchen winner Jared Forman and NFS Leasing. Helping Jared open his first location in Worcester, MA after winning Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen show was incredible. We were able to make his dream of owning a restaurant come true, while navigating and solving concerns about credit and financials.

The most rewarding part of working at LeaseQ is finding equipment financing for customers like Jared, Woops! franchisee Jourdain Ferguson or Crystal Schoggin of Mom’s Kozy Kitchen, who are starting their own business for the first time. They are forever thankful that LeaseQ was able to provide them with financing options to open their businesses and assist in achieving their lifelong dreams.

What’s your dream deal for LeaseQ?

I have a few…

• To become a wildly successful company and go public in the next five years
• To partner with Fortune 1000 companies as their primary finance and lender resource
• To partner with Taffer Consulting or a TV show as their finance division, and gain market share and marketing through our strategic partners

What apps/tech/tools do you use on a daily basis?  

The LeaseQ platform/dashboard and its underwriting engine to pre-qualify customers with a number of lenders. Salesforce to keep track of daily activities and cases that we are working on. Financial calculators to help customers understand the true terms and conditions of their contracts.

Any (other) work or life hacks you’d like to share?

KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid! Also, embrace challenges and accept failure to grow as a professional.

Favorite movie ever (independent of IMDB ratings):

The Usual Suspects

Favorite activities when you’re outside the office?

Golf, Poker, Sports, BBQ/Throwing parties with friends/family

Fill in the Blank: I’d love to see my coworker __David Trost__ answer these questions.