About Taycor Financial
With offices in Los Angeles CA, Irvine CA, and Boston MA, Taycor Financial has been a part of business growth and development for nearly 30 years. Our customers are on Main Street, not Wall Street, and our mission statement reflects that. Our goal is to provide first-class service and a full range of financial products ranging from equipment leasing and financing to hybrid lines of credit and working capital. Whether you are a startup business or a well established landmark in your community, Taycor has multiple financing programs that will fit your business needs. We strive to provide excellent service, guidance, and access to capital through our dedicated team of leasing and financing professionals.
Michael Hong
CEO, President
Michael Hong is the CEO and President of Taycor Financial and a member of the board of directors.
Michael Hong was raised in Texas and started his career in Georgia. Prior to joining Taycor Financial, Mr. Hong started his career in equipment leasing and financing in 2001 in the proverbial mailroom as an intern for an east coast company. He transitioned and gained experience through multiple roles at the company finally serving as the VP of Business Development before moving to California.
Mr. Hong joined the Taycor Team in 2011 as the Director of Business Development. He was responsible for the company’s development of several key technologies and process efficiencies that were pivotal to the last several years of growth and evolution. In 2015, Mr. Hong was promoted to President and CEO where he leads the overall growth and operational strategy for the company. Mr. Hong is married to Mimi, and they have 2 young daughters, a toddler Evelyn and a newborn Gracie. He no longer has free time but used to enjoy Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and staying active.
Drew Olynick, CLFP
Sr. Vice President
Drew Olynick is the Sr. Vice President of Taycor Financial and a member of the board of directors.
Drew Olynick was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. Mr. Olynick’s path to California began in New York where he played hockey at Union College and studied Economics. After college, he began his career with Mellon Bank and later Morgan Stanley Chase Bank before moving west.
In 2003, Mr. Olynick joined Taycor as an Account Executive. During his tenure, he served in a number of capacities including Sales Manager and VP of Sales. In 2007, Mr. Olynick became a partner in Taycor’s Boston office and oversaw its opening and growth. In 2010, he returned to California to continue as VP of Sales and grow originations. Today as Partner, he continues to oversee a team of originators along with handling Taycor’s syndication. Mr. Olynick earned his Certified Leasing and Finance Professional (“CLFP”) designation in 2016 and became a member of NEFA. He continues to be passionate about building relationships and providing financing solutions as he was 14 years ago.
Mr. Olynick is married with 2 children. In his free time he helps coach his son’s club hockey team as well as play on a team of his own. He enjoys snowboarding, the beach, and spending time with his family.
Jill Winbauer
Vice President of Operations
Jill Winbauer is the Vice President of Operations of Taycor Financial and an advisor to the board of directors.
Jill Winbauer was born and raised in Southern California. Ms. Winbauer studied Psychology at Loyola Marymount University while playing Division 1 soccer for the Lions women’s team. After graduation she joined DiTech.com, and worked in the fast-paced mortgage industry.
In 2004, Ms. Winbauer made a move to the equipment finance and leasing industry and joined Taycor. She started out as the Director of HR and Recruiting, and later moved to the credit and operations department. In 2012, Ms. Winbauer was promoted to Vice President of Operations, and maintains relationships with Taycor’s primary bank sources, and overseas the credit and operations staff.
Ms. Winbauer is married to Kyle, and they have 2 young boys, Gavin and Cruz. In her free time, Ms. Winbauer enjoys spending time outdoors, at the beach, local parks, and playing sports with her boys.
Daniel Stangu
Chief Technology Officer
Daniel Stangu is Taycor’s Chief Technology Officer
Daniel Stangu was born and raised in Romania (Transylvania). He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, majoring in software design and implementation.
Mr. Stangu draws on over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He began his career as a quality engineer but has held various positions over the years focused on better scaling products. Additionally, his background includes experience in communication media, technology companies, and retail as well as taking responsibility for the product development portfolio in banking and financial services at Cognizant Softvision. He joined Taycor as Chief Technology Officer in 2022.
In 2006, Daniel and his wife moved to the US, which they now call home. In his spare time, Mr. Stangu enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. Their activities include all kinds of gardening projects and bicycle trips to the beach. He has also been a middle school volleyball coach and is waiting for a chance to coach again.
Vu Nguyen
Vice President of Business Development
Vu Nguyen is the Vice President of Business Development
Vu Nguyen was born in Vietnam and moved to California in 1995. After graduating high school Mr. Nguyen joined the US Marine Corp. in 2000. After serving his country, Mr. Nguyen attended Loma Linda University in 2010 and entered the wonderful world of commercial finance.
In 2018, Mr. Nguyen joined Taycor after holding several senior-level sales roles at Strada, Currency and BofA. Mr. Nguyen has been in the equipment finance space for over a decade and leverages his intimate knowledge of the finance process to position Taycor Financial as an ideal partner. Mr. Nguyen also built and runs Taycor’s Irvine office.
Mr. Nguyen is happily married and a father of 2 beautiful children. He enjoys time with the family and considers himself a foodie, enjoying trying new cuisines from around the world.
Melissa Fisher
Vice President of Syndication
Melissa Fisher is the Vice President of Syndication
Melissa Fisher was raised in Arizona and received her BS in Economics and Business from the prestigious Westmont College in Santa Barbara.
After graduating, Mrs. Fisher was hired by Santa Barbara Bank & Trust and became a Certified Leasing & Finance Professional (CLFP). Later, she took senior-level equipment finance positions in Operations, Credit & Syndication at Balboa Capital, Strada, and Currency before starting at Taycor in 2019.
Mrs. Fisher loves camping, skiing and going to the beach with her husband and two children.
Eric Foster
Vice President of Marketing
Eric Foster is the Vice President of Marketing
Eric Foster was raised in Kansas and Sothern California, and started his career in Lima, Peru.
Prior to joining Taycor, Mr. Foster spent 20 years developing high-impact revenue generating initiatives for Tech, Fintech, and brick & mortar businesses, including j2 Global, KeepItSafe, SugarSync, Currency and AquaWorks.
Mr. Foster has been leading marketing initiatives in Fintech since 2017 and joined Taycor in 2019 .
Mr. Foster is married with 3 children. In his free time he likes to cook, surf, ski, camp and spending time with family.
Justin Wheeler
Vice President of Product
Justin Wheeler is the Vice President of Product Innovation & Business Development
Justin Wheeler was raised in Utah, attended BYU and cut his teeth in the mid-90’s in the helpdesk department at Barclay’s Bank. He later joined the Product Team at Overture/Yahoo and quickly ascended through the ranks.
Mr. Wheeler has over 20 years of experience in product development and has held senior roles at Spotrunner, SNAP, Instantly, SSI, Currency and now Taycor.
Mr. Wheeler owns an organic Black Angus cattle ranch and is an FAA licensed drone pilot.
Pallavi Kharbanda, Ph.D.
Head of Data Science
Dr. Pallavi Kharbanda is the Head of Data Science at Taycor Financial
Dr. Pallavi Kharbanda was raised in India where she also received advanced degrees in Applied Mathematics, and her Doctorate of Philosophy in Operations Research. Since 2015, Dr. Kharbanda has lived in the US and has been a professor of Statistics, Predictive Modeling, Data Processing and Machine Learning. Her data science research has been published in well-respected scientific journals.
When not working, Dr. Kharbanda enjoys reading, cooking, photography, puzzles, and spending time with her family. She and her husband are blessed with twins and enjoy all aspects of family life.
Nicole Floge
Director of Working Capital
Nicole Floge is the Director of Working Capital at Taycor Financial
Nicole Floge was raised in New York and attended college at SUNY Farmingdale. In 2011, Ms. Floge relocated to California from New York, primarily to escape the snow and enjoy the endless sunshine. Prior to joining Taycor, Ms. Floge was a Regional Sales Manager for Westlake Financial. This was where her passion for finance began. Leading Working Capital Operations at Taycor since 2017, Ms. Floge has assisted in building out this division along with recruitment and training.
In her free time, Nicole enjoys life at the beach, biking (electric bike), cooking and hosting dinners.
Jared Gutierrez
Director of Credit
Jared Gutierrez is the Director of Credit at Taycor Financial
Gutierrez is a California native, growing up in Los Angeles near South Gate. He received his BS in Political Science from Long Beach State University in 2001 and started in commercial finance that same year.
Prior to joining Taycor in 2018, Mr. Gutierrez worked for Timepayments and Genesis Capital. All told, Mr. Gutierrez has over 18 years in the commercial finance space and loves analyzing deals.
In his free time, Mr. Gutierrez likes to run Ragnar Races, study history and travel with family and friends.
Bob Skibinski
Founder
Bob Skibinski is a member of the Board of Directors.
Bob Skibinski was born and raised in Massachusetts. Mr. Skibinski ran track at the University of Massachusetts, where he held the high jump record for almost 20 years. Upon graduation he decided to chase the sunshine to California.
Mr. Skibinski started his career in equipment leasing and financing in 1992 as an Account Executive in Los Angeles. He flourished in customer management and while creating a niche in the entertainment industry.
Mr. Skibinski went on to co-found Truxton Financial in 1991, then opened Media Capital Associates as a sole venture in 1994, which ultimately evolved into Taycor Financial. Mr. Skibinski was responsible for the company earning its rank as #22 of Inc. Magazine’s 500 fastest growing companies in the country and was also honored by the LA Business Journal as #18 fastest growing companies in Los Angeles. Mr. Skibinski served as the Taycor’s President and CEO until turning over the reigns in 2015.
What to expect when
working with Taycor
We are successful when you are. Our efforts are concentrated in growing strong relationships through an extraordinary emphasis on customer service – both for our customers and for the equipment vendors that supply them. Here are the things that we strive to achieve with each opportunity to earn your business.