Wintrust Commercial Finance (WCF), a division of Wintrust Asset Finance Inc., announced Thomas G. Forbes has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer.

In this role, Forbes will be responsible for all originations for WCF, as well as for continuing the buildout of the direct sales teams in the east, central and west regions. He will also retain responsibility for ensuring the continued success of both syndication and origination through the capital markets.

“Tom has been an important contributor to the success that WCF has experienced since inception,” said Kirk Phillips, President and CEO of WCF. “His experience running direct origination platforms along with capital markets knowledge will help build upon the successful trajectory that our direct sales team is experiencing. His knowledge of both internal requirements and market dynamics will position WCF well in meeting our customer’s needs.”

Forbes has been a part of the WCF team since June 2015, joining just two months after the group’s founding, and has successfully built and led its capital markets business during his time with the company. He has overseen the development and expansion of partnerships with other institutions, as well as provided strategic insight to the growth and development of the company. Forbes and his team have produced more than $1.3 billion in originations over the last five years and have developed the company’s syndication distribution capabilities, resulting in significant fee income since 2017.

Previously, Forbes held various capital markets, sales and business leadership roles at industry-leading institutions including CIT, GE, Caterpillar Financial and ORIX. He has experience in originating, syndicating, pricing, structuring and negotiating sophisticated equipment leases and loans, as well as other complex financing structures.

Wintrust Commercial Finance celebrated five years in business in April 2020. Since its founding in 2015, WCF has originated over $2 billion in new business volume for its customers in a wide variety of industries and collateral types. It has grown its staff to more than 40 individuals located in offices in Texas, California, New Jersey and Colorado.