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Future Leaders Spotlight: Kishen Raja

Kishen Raja, Ritchie Bros. Financial Services

The CFLA Future Leaders Initiative’s July spotlight features Kishen Raja, Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. Financial Services

What do you like about working in this industry?

The equipment finance industry fascinates me. I find a lot of value from working with our Teams to help our customers develop their businesses. The industry provides us with the ability to support our customers through various stages of their business, from start-ups to fast growth and then sustainment of their Company, being involved in the equipment finance industry allows us to truly partner with our customers as trusted equipment finance experts.   

What is your greatest achievement?

In 2020, I was working through the final remaining months of my Part-time MBA and had decided to make the transition from HR to Sales Management. I had applied for the Sales Management role prior to Covid and soon realized that I would be entering a new role, industry, and business unit in a completely remote environment. I recall the night before starting my first day and meeting my entire Team on Zoom. I was extremely excited and nervous but managed to persevere in challenging times, which helped me become more resilient and dynamic as my role progressed throughout Covid. 

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

I invest in my people to achieve results. The development and investment in our employees is the most important part of my role and allows us to grow talent while also driving the business forward. My early position in HR provided me with a tremendous amount of respect and value for people in the organization. Our Lenders, customers, and employees are all critical in our success. All of these stakeholders provide me with opportunities to learn each day, which helps keep me engaged and motivated to do my best work. I continuously learn from my staff and in turn, always strive to be a supportive manager for my people. 

What is one of your favorite books and why? 

The Shoe Dog is an inspirational story about Nike. We look at Nike today and it is hard to imagine the challenges they had to overcome as such a large organization today. I am very entrepreneurial and really enjoyed reading about Phil Knight’s ability to start and scale Nike. 

What sports do you play and why is it important to you?

I enjoy being at the Gym. I find that physical health is important, but having the outlet to be able to exercise allows me to reset and focus on my mental wellbeing. It is very easy to get distracted by emails and work, especially during Covid and working from home. However, it has been very vital to my well-being to take advantage of the Gym (especially now that many are opening up again).

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The CFLA’s Future Leaders Spotlight is a monthly feature of emerging talent in the Canadian asset-based financing and leasing industry.

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