Meet the Team

We are excited to introduce you to our newest colleague, Brett Pyser. Brett recently joined the Atalaya Leasing team as an Investment Professional. Prior to joining Atalaya, Brett worked in investment banking and asset-backed lending, focused on transportation and aviation finance. Brett currently resides in New York City. We asked Brett a few questions to get to know him better:

Hometown? Easthampton, MA (Western Massachusetts, north of Springfield)

Alma Mater? Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

How did you get into the equipment leasing business? After studying Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at RPI, I began my career at Pratt & Whitney as a Project Engineer working on their newest commercial jet engine. While at Pratt & Whitney, I was accepted into the MBA program at UConn where I was first exposed to the world of finance. After completing this degree, I earned a position at MUFG Union Bank on the Aviation Finance team in New York. This career move allowed me to work in finance but also maintain my roots in aviation. I spent the next few years in banking at both MUFG and Credit Suisse before deciding to transition to the buy side. I was fortunate to find my new role on the Equipment Leasing team at Atalaya, where I will be able to broaden my horizons outside of the aviation/aerospace industry while still using the skills I have acquired through my past experience.

What are you most looking forward to about joining Atalaya Leasing? In addition to gaining exposure to a variety of industries and companies, I am most looking forward to working on a tight knit team within a smaller company. It has always been very important to me to develop close relationships with my colleagues. I am excited to be able to walk into the office every day and know everyone around me, even if I am not directly working with them on a regular basis.

What is your favorite golf story? A few years ago, I was down in Pensacola, Florida visiting a friend who was in flight school for the Navy. He took me out to play golf on base. It just so happened to also be the same day as the annual naval air show. As we made our way to the 12th hole tee box, the air show started and everyone on the course couldn't help but stop and watch. We stood there for the next 45 minutes with our eyes glued to the sky. The low-flying planes, including the Blue Angels, flew directly over the course and for a moment I felt like I was in the movie Top Gun. It is definitely my favorite golf memory.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? I'm sure you can assume from the previous question that I love to play golf. It's a sport that has allowed me to see many different places and beautiful courses, but my favorite has to be Galloway National in New Jersey. Outside of the golf season, I enjoy skiing, especially out west. In recent years, I have been to a number of mountains in Colorado and Utah with plans to go to Europe and a few mountains in Canada in 2023.