5 key takeaways from Odessa’s ‘Future Trends in Asset Finance’ panel

At Innovate 2025, Odessa’s annual client conference, we brought together an expert panel to explore a topic that’s top of mind for the industry: Where is asset finance headed—and how can companies prepare for what’s next?

In a wide-ranging conversation, Deb Reuben (Founder and CEO, TomorrowZone), Mike Donnary (Senior Director, Capgemini), and Jeff Lezinski (EVP of Product Management, Odessa) shared their perspectives on what it will take to lead through change—from mindset shifts to new business models to smarter use of emerging technologies.

Here are five of the most compelling themes to come out of the session. To learn more, you can watch the full panel discussion in the video above.

1. Innovation isn’t tech-first. It’s curiosity-first.

The panel’s conversation covered a variety of technologies, but at a fundamental level, the panel agreed: True innovation doesn’t start with software. It starts with mindset.

“Asset finance companies that master the mindset for innovation—they’re the ones that are going to be the leaders,” said TomorrowZone’s Deb Reuben, emphasizing that sustainable innovation requires more than adopting new tools. “We tend to think it’s always about technology… but the ability to get curious and stay curious—to be discovery driven rather than technology-first or deployment driven—I think is going to be a big differentiator.”

That curiosity needs space to grow. Reuben emphasized the importance of making time for imaginative thinking, especially when organizations are caught up in day-to-day demands. “You have to actually create space and develop your team… It’s really hard to think creatively—what if unicorns and rainbows and awesome things happen—when you’re in survival mode.”

2. Think big. Start small. Learn forward fast.

Big-picture thinking is critical, but it won’t get far without a practical path forward. The panelists pointed to the importance of incremental progress—especially when navigating complexity or budget constraints.

Capgemini’s Mike Donnary advised organizations to avoid boiling the ocean and instead “look for a specific customer segment or financial product… and deliver something in weeks or months and be successful there.” From there, companies can scale what works.

Reuben built on this concept, sharing a TomorrowZone mantra:

“Think big, start small, learn forward fast.”

The idea is not just to reflect on what’s working, but to build muscle memory for change through iterative learning and application. That agility, she noted, is essential in a “VUCA max” environment—a term that describes the current peak levels of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity.

3. Flexible financing is gaining traction. Are you ready?

The panelists also explored how business models are shifting from traditional ownership-based leasing to more flexible, usage-based approaches.

Odessa’s Jeff Lezinski pointed to growing demand for contracts that reflect shorter terms and bundled services. “There is a trend to offer more flexible options versus traditional financing,” he noted. “Being able to offer other services, maybe for a shorter term, are things that we’re going to see.”

This trend is influenced by broader forces—from the right-to-repair movement, which opens opportunities for third-party servicing, to accounting practices that favor off-balance-sheet models. Lezinski explained, “There’s a huge financial driver for saying, ‘Hey, I don’t have to put this debt on my balance sheet. It’s a subscription contract.’ But you’re still using the asset just like you would.”

For financial institutions, this shift could open new revenue streams by bundling services like maintenance or insurance into single, simplified agreements.

4. AI is not about cost-cutting. It’s about smarter human work.

Artificial intelligence was a major thread throughout the discussion—but the panel challenged the notion that AI’s primary benefit is reducing headcount or costs.

Instead, Donnary framed it as a tool for enabling scale and efficiency in repetitive processes, freeing human talent to focus on consultative work. “There’s a misconception that you’ll lose the human touch,” he said. “But… there’s an opportunity to consult customers on more complex transactions… and bring new products and services to market.”

Lezinski added that the business case for AI extends beyond operational efficiency. “It helps the bottom line, but also it reallocates resources to the top line—to growth, to new products, and the like,” he said.

Reuben stressed that realizing this potential requires strategy. “AI is not a silver bullet,” she said. “If you haven’t figured out how to decompose and reimagine your processes, you’re not going to get a lot of great benefit from AI that translates into actual ROI.”

5. Sustainability can be a competitive edge.

The panel also weighed in on the evolving role of sustainability in asset finance. In a global industry, companies that lag on environmental and social performance might find themselves losing ground—especially as European counterparts raise the bar.

“It’s a competition thing now,” said Lezinski. “If you’re not doing it in Europe, it doesn’t matter. You’re not going to be profitable because you can’t compete. Stakeholders are looking at what your efforts are for sustainability.”

He noted that in Europe, ESG reporting is often mandatory, and even tied to pricing models in asset finance. Green attributes are increasingly influencing rate cards.

The takeaway? Sustainability isn’t just about corporate responsibility—it’s also a market driver.

To hear the full conversation, including trends in embedded finance, use-based contracts, and human-centered transformation, watch the full panel discussion.

Watch the Full Panel

To hear the full conversation, including trends in embedded finance, use-based contracts, and human-centered transformation, watch the full panel discussion.

Want to learn more about how Odessa is helping clients prepare for the future of asset finance through its configurable, cloud-first asset finance technology? Let’s talk.