After running the program as "a two-man operation" since its inception in 2000, GE now wants to expand it, Pearson tells GlobeSt.com. "We needed more guys experienced in sales-leaseback to get out there and inform the public about the program," the senior vice president says, adding GE wants to "make an impression on the marketplace."

The combined team of Raffe, Anderson and Torrence has an average of 20 years experience in commercial real estate finance. Raffe, who joined GE in 2002, previously held stints with USBX Inc., Cushman & Wakefield, Capital Lease Funding, Kidder Peabody & Co. and Dewey Ballantine. Anderson's prior work includes positions with MetLife and New Court Capital. Torrence, who was also brought on board with GE in 2002, has held posts at Realty Income Corp., Canadian Imperial Bank and DKB.

The new appointments and additional funding signals a vote of confidence for the sales-leaseback program, which has "been picking up steam over the past couple of years," according to Pearson. He says the expectation in the marketplace is that "there could be considerably more business in the coming year," mainly due to changes in the synthetic lease market. If those changes do come about, GE is hoping to capitalize on it, as many synthetic leases may then become sales-leaseback transactions.