WiAF Spotlight: Alane MacDonald
Stephanie Godinho - June 23, 2021 - Featured Content Area
Alane MacDonald,
Senior Manager | TD Equipment Finance
What brought you to the asset-based finance and leasing industry?
I would say luck ! I graduated University and really didn’t have a plan, my first job was a small leasing company that financed IT equipment, I loved the fast pace of the business and the customer interaction.
What do you wish you had known when you started out in this industry?
I was very lucky in my career as I had some great mentors, however I would say to my younger self “take more chances”, “ask more questions” and don’t be afraid of what the future holds, if you are confident in your abilities good things will come.
What do you like about working in this industry?
My personality suits a fast paced environment where everyday is different, interaction with customers and problems need to solved. I also love equipment, some of my favorite memories are being underground in a mine and looking at equipment. The lessons I learned on that day have stayed with me !
What motivates you? I like to solve problems, whether it is a customer request, a sales need or complex structure to document – in the end you feel a sense of accomplishment.
What is your greatest achievement?
Personally my greatest achievement was running a marathon (actually completed 2), if you knew me you would know how much I dislike running however I have a great group of friends and we took this journey together. In my career – I am still working on that !
How do you feel the industry has changed since you began your career?
The industry has consolidated from when I first started in leasing there are fewer players and sadly maybe there are fewer options for businesses out there.
What do you feel you still want to keep working on? I still want to continue the journey where we see more women in senior leadership roles in this industry, I feel strongly that the best run organizations have a diverse leadership base, I do believe we still lag behind on where we should be.
How do you overcome the challenges you face at work?
What does it mean to you to be a leader and how do you lead others in your organization? Leadership can be many things depending on the situation, a good leader knows when to let the team or an individual lead or when to step in and say what needs to be done. Leadership to me is trusting your team to get the job done and appreciating them for doing it, people will go the extra mile for a good leader because they believe in you, your commitment to the business and want to succeed.
What industry is your favourite industry to finance and why?
I actually like mining, I haven’t done it for a very long time but in the beginning of my career I financed underground mining equipment for a mine Sudbury. Again I think I was lucky, I met a few people and they took my under their wing and taught me about all the equipment and the amount of ore that needed to be extracted to ensure the mine was profitable.
What is your number one travel destination and why?
My favorite trip so far was Africa, I did a safari and it was a bucket list trip !
What is one of your favourite books and why?
Book called “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara, it is a story about 4 university friends and their journey in life and their friendships. It is great book that can make you cry and laugh – I enjoy a book that can have you loving the characters as if you knew them personally.
What sports do you play and why is it important to you?
Golf is now my sport, I enjoy it (not great at it) but I like to get outside, and it is something I can do with friends & family.
What do you like to do when you are not behind your desk? There are a lot of things I like to do, I am fortunate as I have a good friends and family that I spend time with, I can be walking my dog “Murphy”, hiking, golf, eating and drinking wine !