Betsy Backes is currently an Asset Manager with the Global Vendor Finance division of Fleet Boston Financial. Prior to Fleet, Betsy was with Mellon US Leasing as Vice President - Equipment Risk in San Francisco. She also previously worked with Ameritech/SBC Capital Services in Rolling Meadows, IL as Director of Portfolio Management.

Betsy currently works on several major leasing programs. Among the largest is Fleet Capital Leasing's PC Program which spins off approximately 500 returned units per month. Betsy is responsible for setting the residual value (i.e - what the equipment is expected to be worth at the end of the lease) as well as monitoring the remarketing of the equipment upon its return.

Betsy graduated from Middlebury with a B.A in English in 1982. She stumbled in computer leasing in 1985 after the video game development company that she was doing technical writing for went bankrupt. Betsy has worked for steadily larger leasing companies throughout her career. Following this trend, Betsy's current company has been purchased by Bank of America and, if she survives the merger, she will work for the second largest bank in the country.

Betsy lives in Chicago with her husband and 2 daughters.