MANAGEMENT TEAM

Jason Anish

President/CEO

Jason Anish serves as the President & CEO of Austin Financial Services, Inc. and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company, managing the company’s team of credit/underwriting, portfolio management and business development officers, while spearheading new business initiatives with a primary focus on quality portfolio growth.


Jason brings over 25 years of financial expertise to his role, specializing in deal structuring for asset-based lending, factoring, and equipment financing/leasing. He has been an active member of SFNet (formerly known as the CFA) since 1999 and has held various leadership roles within the organization, including Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President, and President of SFNet’s Southern California chapter. He currently sits on the board and serves as Chairman Emeritus. Jason is also involved with ACG, TMA, and IFA, among other professional finance organizations.


Beyond his executive role, Jason is actively engaged in the broader business and philanthropic community, previously and currently holding board memberships with various private enterprises and non-profit groups such as the Secured Finance Network, Real Tech Inc, AYSO Reg 58, and SOLL. He is also involved with the GOFARR-Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, dedicating time to their event committees, among other volunteer activities.

 
Jason resides with his family in the Los Angeles area. He enjoys playing tennis, skiing, soccer, ice hockey, traveling, and attending sporting events to support his favorite local and international teams.

Lance Gillis

Director of Credit and Operations

Lance Gillis serves as the Director of Credit and Operations at AFS, overseeing communication and continuity within the organization. He is responsible for developing and executing operational strategies for the credit and operations division, resource allocation, and mitigating operational risks.

With twenty years of experience in commercial lending at various national banks and financial institutions, Mr. Gillis has played a vital role in managing client relationships, enhancing client retention, mitigating risk, restructuring deals, and bringing challenging loans to a successful outcome.


Based in Utah, Lance cherishes spending time with his wife and two children. He enjoys outdoor activities like mountain biking and CrossFit as well as attending University of Utah football games, where his son is a student and assists the team. 

Tom Derenze

 Chief Credit Officer

Tom Derenze serves as the Chief Credit Officer at Austin Financial Services, Inc. where he oversees Austin's credit transactions and lending operations. In Tom's previous posts he served as chief operating officer and has held numerous leadership positions with banks and asset based lenders. Tom's lending experience spans 35+ years and throughout his career he's been integral in several lending division start-ups.

When not working, Tom spends most of his free time with his family, on the tennis court, or cruising the hills of SoCal on his mountain bike. 

Joe Curdy

 Chief Risk Officer

Joe Curdy serves as the Chief Risk Officer at Austin Financial Services, Inc., overseeing all aspects of the credit portfolio with a strong focus on ongoing risk mitigation to support portfolio growth.

A results-oriented finance professional, Joe brings over 30 years of experience in portfolio management and credit oversight, developed over his extensive career primarily with top-tier bank ABL lenders. He has held various leadership positions throughout his career and actively engages in corporate philanthropy efforts.

Based in Dallas, Joe enjoys spending time with his family, including his four children, staying active through fitness and sports, and traveling.

Demetrio Pascual

Vice President of Finance

Demetrio Pascual serves as the Vice President of Finance at Austin Financial and is responsible for overseeing the internal finance department.

Bringing two decades of experience from a leading national bank, Mr. Pascual is an expert in various aspects of accounting and finance’’, including financial modeling, forecasting, and budgeting. He possesses a proven track record for enhancing processes and a demonstrated ability for fostering a collaborative work environment and leading teams.

Outside of work, Demetrio enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, actively volunteers in his community, and follows his favorite Chicago sports teams.