Centrelease Experience

The Directors

Mark A. Smith – Chairman and CEO (retired)

Mark founded Centrelease Corporation in 1977 and is credited with many lasting innovations in the leasing industry. An inordinate number of today’s executives in other finance companies and banks originally learnt their skills at Centrelease under Mark’s guidance and training.

Mark’s primary function is still the ongoing training and mentoring of our Account Executives and the liaison with underwriters to ensure that each Centrelease client benefits from his extraordinary experience.

Larry A. Smith – Director

Larry has one of the most distinguished careers in lease finance both in Australia and internationally.

As a Chartered Accountant and partner of Peat Marwick Mitchell in the late 70’s and early 80’s he was head of the firm’s banking tax group and then as a partner of Smith Curry and Partners until the late 80’s and later with the law firm, Gadens Ridgeway, he has advised on many of the largest leverage lease and cross border transactions ever written in Australia.

In 1995, Larry joined Babcock and Brown becoming a partner and Head of Germany and wrote over US $3 billion of Swedish and German cross border lease transactions for aircraft and locomotives and raised the funding for films such as Lord of the Rings.

He has consulted to Governments in Australia on major infrastructure projects and has particular expertise and experience in the emerging alternative energy industry.

Larry focuses on complex transactions both domestically and offshore and provides a depth of knowledge and experience to the Centrelease client base that is otherwise unavailable.

Douglas R. Blunt – Director, Fleet Services and Trade

Doug’s banking and finance career spans over 30 years in Australia, Papua New Guinea and throughout Asia.

He has held many senior positions including Manager, International Lending at Commonwealth Bank; Vice President, Trade Finance, at Chase Manhattan Bank and Director, Head of Trade, for Asia & Australia at Royal Bank of Canada.

With this experience Doug is well qualified to advise our clients on overseas trade and receivables financing.

Doug also heads Centrelease Fleet Services providing fully maintained motor vehicle fleet leasing solutions. Over the last 5 years, Doug and his team have shown many businesses the advantages of leaving the uncertainty of re-sale values and maintenance costs with the lessor whilst enjoying a fixed and known cost of running their motor vehicles.