November 5, 2002

Kit Menkin is on vacation. We bring you the first "Whatever Happened to" story (August 28, 2000)


                 Whatever Happened to......

                     Hal T. Horowitz

       Former United Association of Equipment Leasing President with over thirty
       years experience in the leasing business.

"What I always associate with Hal is his very high level of integrity and
honesty. I wish there were more like him in the business."
    Bob Teichman, Teichman Financial Training

" Hal served the industry tirelessly and selflessly for years and years and he certainly gave
much more than he got."
    Rick Wilbur, Capital Media


Hal was instrumental in establishing the United Association of Equipment Leasing,
(then WAEL, Western Association of Equipment Leasing ) Standards of Professional Practice.
He was also active in the start of the Standards Committee and presented many workshops and
presentations on ethical behavior and proper leasing practices.

Ethics in Leasing is again a major subject of discussion in the industry, and it is particularly
appropriate that we recognize one of its pioneers, and his contributions to the raising of
standards throughout the business.


Today Hal is:

Account Executive

Search West
340 North Westlake Blvd., Suite 200
Westlake Village, CA 91336
Phone: 805-496-6811 ext. 231
Fax: 805-496-9431
Pager: 818-494-6875
hal.horowitz@searchwest.com


"It is my mission to collaborate with my clients in order to further their
success by identifying professionals of uncommon ability to whom my clients
might not otherwise have access and who will make a valuable contribution to my
clients' goals."

"I started in the equipment leasing industry in 1973 with a small medical
leasing company following six years in the consumer and commercial finance
fields. My introduction to leasing was on a collection desk and eventually
moved into credit management. In 1980 I joined BEHR Leasing and worked in
building it from a company with eight employees and a portfolio of less than
$12 million to a staff of 30+ employees and a portfolio of over $50 million in
six years. I left the firm in 1986 when it was sold, but rejoined it two
years later as a principal at which time we chose to liquidate its holdings and
satisfy its creditors. I bounced around a bit through the 1990s, having been
with only one firm whose name I really care to mention, that being DVI. My
associations with a couple of other firms I had joined left me somewhat jaded.
I took a stab at brokering transactions, and also in providing some consulting
services primarily in the area of credit and collections, and back office
management. By 1997, though, I realized that this was a changing industry and
that by having demonstrated a lack of judgment in creating some of my former
affiliations, I was too focused in trying to stop a runaway train by facing it
head on, rather than in jumping on board another train that was going in the
right direction. I concluded my career in leasing by accepting a temporary
consulting assignment with Santa Barbara Bank & Trust Leasing, during which
time I assessed some other alternatives in the business world.

"I had been active throughout most of my career in UAEL (then WAEL) and in 1992
I was privileged and honored to have served the industry and the WAEL
membership as its president. My prior positions had included seats on the CLP
and more significantly the Ethics Committees where I tried to raise their
respective profiles through a series of articles in Newsline. It was under my
term that the decision was made to become a national organization and if for no
other accomplishment than that, I hope to have at least left one positive
footstep behind me.

"At the end of 1997 I became an executive recruiter and I am currently working
for Search West, a 34 year-old firm which, with five offices in California,
makes it the largest regional contingency firm. In terms of disciplines, my
areas of expertise have been in the area of professional accounting and
financial placements in pretty much any industry. My placements have included
senior level accountants and financial analysts, Controllers, Treasurers, and
CFOs, and my clients range from a few local firms, to several large,
international firms, both privately and publicly held. My area of service has
recently expanded to include the property and casualty side of the insurance
industry, and, because of prior associations, I have also undertaken searches
related to the Equipment Leasing and collateral industries.

Please take a peek, both at my firm's and my Websites.
You can find us at www.searchwest.com, and click here for Hal's page:
http://216.246.22.28/cgi-bin/aehome.cgi?uid=horowitz

I don't know how much of this you'd like to use in your new feature, but please
know that although I did feel thoroughly burnt out of leasing, I have certainly
enjoyed many of the associations and friendships I was able to cultivate over
the years, and to some extent, still maintain. I have only the highest regard
for so many of the individuals with whom I was fortunate enough to serve during
my years of involvement in WAEL."

I asked Hal about the personal side of his life in the leasing business.

Barb and I were married in '77. Together we raised Ken and Sheri, now 35 and 32 respectively.
Ken married his childhood sweetheart, Robyn (like his mother told him to) and we
have a wonderful granddaughter, Shelby. They're both professional. Ken is in
HR management for a $billion international company. Robyn is a child
psychologist and school principal for special children. Our daughter Sheri is
in sales for one of the leading manufacturers of network testing hardware which
was recently acquired by a major UK, publicly held high tech firm. She has
also been active in Women in Theatre and has written and produced a couple of
plays in conjunction with Traveltown Museum at Griffith Park to increase
awareness of the role women have played in railroading. (Do I sound like a
proud papa?)

Barb has recently retired from office management. The things we enjoy together
include breeding miniature schnauzers, though we've retired from showing, and
square dancing in which we have been very active since 1992 (I guess I knew I
would need something to take up the slack after WAEL). In 1998 we were
presidents of our square dance club The Trail Dusters, which boasts roughly 500
members and is the largest mainstream and plus level square dance club in the
United States, and we believe, the world. I also enjoy deep sea fishing.
Writing: aside from a variety of professional articles, I have written a
screenplay, a novel and several poems and short stories. Did manage to get one
short story published in 1997 through the San Fernando Valley Chapter of the
California Writer's Club. (Notice how I keep joining things? No pattern here
though, as I am not active in that club other than attending occasional
meetings.) Golf? WEAL presented me with a set of clubs as I left office which
was effectively a challenge to me to take the game up once more and this time
enjoy it. I regret having to admit that I have failed miserably. In defense
of that, I did have back surgery in 1994 after the Northridge earthquake and so
now I at least have an excuse for my game... "Oooh, my aching back!" Speaking
of that quake, except that it was still standing, that was about all that could
be said for the condition of our home. Fortunately we had insurance and were
able to rebuild."

Why did you choose lease recruiting?

"Why do I like recruiting? For some of the same reasons I enjoyed leasing. It
gives me a window to a diverse world, one I might not otherwise know. I meet
people from all over the country, I get to speak to people at all levels of HR
and management and learn a little about their companies just enough to sound
familiar, but not totally knowledgeable. I meet the best and the worst. The
up and coming CPAs and MBAs, the hard working mothers and fathers who still put
their families ahead of their careers, and those that don't, and the people who
pretend to be something they are not. When I used to structure a lease for a
small business, it made me feel good to be able to help someone take a step
closer to achieving their dream. When I make a placement, when the company and
the job and the career path are right for the candidate, or when I take someone
in that 55+ crowd, a group to whom I can well relate, and place them in a
rewarding position where they can continue to make a valuable contribution, it
just makes me feel good. I like working with people. Oh, and let's not
overlook the money.

Hal

Hal T. Horowitz
Account Executive
Search West
340 North Westlake Blvd., Suite 200
Westlake Village, CA 91336
Phone: 805-496-6811 ext. 231
Fax: 805-496-9431
Pager: 818-494-6875
hal.horowitz@searchwest.com
www.searchwest.com