Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

Acima Credit CEO Aaron Allred to Speak at LendIt 2017

acima_logo_colorAllred to provide insights from Acima Credit on the Point of Sale Finance panel

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Acima Credit CEO Aaron Allred

Salt Lake City, UT – March 1, 2017 – Acima Credit, a fintech company that specializes in point of sale finance solutions, announced today that CEO Aaron Allred will be speaking at the LendIt USA conference March 7 at the Jacob Javitz Convention Center in New York.LendIt is the largest conference series connecting the global online lending community. Allred will be speaking on the Point of Sale Market: A Trillion Dollar Opportunity panel, and will share his experience leading Acima to be one of the fastest-growing point of sale finance providers in the nation.

During the summer of 2013, Allred founded Acima Credit (formerly Simple Finance). He presently serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board. Allred’s responsibilities include setting Acima’s strategic and cultural direction, building and leading its executive team, and prioritizing its capital allocations. With Acima, he has found a unique way to provide a technology driven point of sale finance solution for customers, irrespective of their credit position. Since its inception, Acima has grown exponentially, employing more than 250 people, and is on pace to underwrite more than 500,000 applications in 2017.  “It’s an honor to represent Acima at LendIt, especially in light of the distinguished panel of experts that will be present,” said Allred. “LendIt is now the biggest event for the online lending industry and we’re overjoyed to be part of it.”

About Acima: Based in Salt Lake City, Acima Credit is a fintech company that specializes in point of sale finance. Acima helps retail merchants reach a segment of the population that was previously unavailable to them, while simultaneously helping consumers purchase the things they need in a way that makes sense.

About LendIt: LendIt is the world’s largest event series dedicated to connecting the Fintech and lending community. Their conferences bring together the leading lending platforms, investors, and service providers in the industry for unparalleled educational, networking, and business development opportunities. LendIt hosts three conferences annually; LendIt USA, LendIt Europe in London, and LendIt China in Shanghai. LendIt USA 2017 will be held in New York from March 6 – 7. Learn more at http://www.lendit.com/.

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Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.