Heidi Brooks, U.S. sales manager – commercial finance at global equipment financier DLL, will discuss data analytics tools, credit conditions and inventory management strategies at Equipment Finance Connect 2026 on Monday, May 18, at 2:15 p.m. CT. 

Equipment Finance Connect 2026 takes place May 18-19 at the C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston. It is the only event that brings together dealers, lenders and technology providers to discuss the equipment finance industry. 

View the full event agenda here.  

Brooks will join three other industry experts for the panel discussion “Lot perspectives: current equipment and financing demand, strategies and growth opportunities.” 

Scheduled to join Brooks on the panel are:

• D.J. Jackson, senior director of business development at Oakmont Capital Services; 
• Skip Owen, director of sales at Hills Machinery; and 
• Bob Rinaldi, president and founder of Rinaldi Advisory Services.  

Topics will include:

• How dealers and lenders can maximize real-time lot data; 
• How current credit conditions and economic trends are influencing dealer and lender decisions; and
• How shifts in inventory levels, average fleet age and OEM production are affecting sales and finance strategies.  

Brooks, who has more than 20 years of experience in floorplan and commercial finance, has been in her current role since 2023. She previously was group manager for wholesale finance at Yamaha. 

The fourth annual Equipment Finance Connect, a crucial industry event for equipment lenders and dealers, takes place at the C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston May 18-19. Learn more about the event and register here.