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CFLA Future Leader: Basil Marcus

Basil Marcus

The CFLA Future Leaders Initiative’s latest spotlight features Basil Marcus, Managing Director, Foss National Leasing.

We asked Basil some questions about his career and personal life to amplify his voice in the industry as an exemplary future leader. Take a look below to learn more about Basil.

We created the Future Leaders Initiative (FLI) in 2019 to connect younger employees with leadership potential in the asset-based finance and leasing space. The FLI’s mission is to give the next generation of leaders a voice in shaping our industry.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope to be at the forefront of the fleet leasing business, continuing to find innovative new ways to bring value to both customers and businesses as well as advancing more sustainable solutions for the environment. The automotive sector has changed more in the last 10 years than in the previous 100, with lots of fascinating new trends emerging and still to come. The greening of fleets, flexible mobility solutions and the utilization of data make this one of the most exciting spaces to be in and I see this lasting many years into the future.

What do you like about working in this industry?

Two things; Firstly, working on the fleet management and vehicle leasing side of the industry, I have noticed that it really is a global cottage industry. Educating different audiences on all things fleet management, while also being afforded the ability to be creative in designing custom solutions, are what “drive" me! 

​Leasing a vehicle is a lot more involved than just placing a monthly payment, you really need to have an in-depth knowledge of the asset you are funding. This spans from acquisition and upfit to usage to remarketing. Working on all this with my dedicated team every day cements my love for what I do.

What motivates you? 

The journey really motivates me. Starting with just an idea, building that idea into a robust initiative and seeing it in the field gives me a great sense of accomplishment. Depending on the scale of the project, it allows for a lot of healthy conversation and debate to ensure we are producing the absolute best product we can- there are no egos on our team. It really is amazing to see how engaged people can be with these types of projects and how everyone enjoys bringing something to the table and being part of the joint outcome.

What does it mean to you to be a leader and how do you lead others in your organization?

I take great pride in the responsibility that my organization has given me. It can be an extremely demanding role and I am very aware that to run a great business, I need to be surrounded by a team of incredible people. My guiding principle has always been people. Start with the person, be it your employee, customer or supplier, and when you have the right people who understand the purpose, it will make everything else a lot easier. Its critically important to empower those around you and to tolerate mistakes, once we learn the lesson and grow. 

As a business, we are constantly looking at ways for responsible innovation. We know that we must stay ahead of an ever-changing market so we can continue to bring the best value and most innovative solutions to our customers. 

What do you like to do when you are not behind your desk? 

The most important thing for me when I am away from work is my family. Even though my job is very demanding I do everything I can to spend as much time with my wife Joanne and my two boys, Leo and Harrison. We are a very active family and enjoy being in the outdoors biking, hiking or just exploring.  My boys are 5 and 7 years old now, which is such a great age. I am looking forward to going further afield with them now that a lot of the travel restrictions have been lifted.