Chris Santy brings over 25 years of specialized experience in commercial finance to his role as Managing Director and President. Under his leadership, Patriot Capital Corporation has become the nation’s leading finance team dedicated to the petroleum and convenience store sectors. He has guided the company to its current status as the exclusively endorsed and preferred finance partner for Gilbarco Veeder-Root.
Overview and Expertise
As the founding member of Patriot Capital, Chris has scaled the organization from a regional entity into the largest equipment financing and leasing firm dedicated solely to the retail and commercial petroleum space. His expertise spans business equipment financing, specialized loans, and structured leasing, with a singular focus on the capital requirements of commercial fuelers, convenience store operators, jobbers, and c-store owners.
Strategic Partnerships & Industry Leadership
The hallmark of Chris’s tenure is the development of industry-shaping partnerships. By securing the exclusive endorsement of Gilbarco Veeder-Root, he has ensured that petroleum marketers have prioritized access to competitive capital for essential forecourt technology. Chris attributes Patriot Capital’s growth to a rigorous customer focus and long-standing relationships with major manufacturers and distributors. This focus has been recognized by the Energy Marketers Association naming Patriot Capital Corporation ‘Best in US’ for equipment financing annually since 2018.
Foundational Experience
Before founding Patriot Capital, Chris managed the Southeast Region for Tokai Financial Services, a division of Tokai Bank of Japan. In this capacity, he oversaw high-volume transactions and managed vendor relationships within the office equipment segment, establishing a deep foundation in risk assessment and scalable funding models.
Education
Chris is a graduate of James Madison University.
Contact
Patriot Capital Western Regional Financing Manager Geoff Smith has more than 20 years of equipment finance and leasing experience in the retail and commercial petroleum industry. Prior to opening Patriot Capital’s West Coast offices in 2007, Geoff was Regional Manager for Patriot’s Southeast Region. A graduate of James Madison University and a member of Western Petroleum Marketers Association (WPMA) and the Petroleum Equipment Institute (PEI), Geoff has successfully established Patriot Capital in two markets and is known as an expert in financing dispensers, POS, and other C-store products.
Don, in his role as Vice President of Strategy and Development with Patriot Capital Corporation, is an executive sales leader in the retail petroleum industry. He brings over three decades of experience with Gilbarco Veeder-Root, TPS Technologies, and ZCL/Xerxes, where he excelled in managing sales teams, driving revenue growth, increasing market share, earning and maintaining customer loyalty—from global corporations to entrepreneurs—and collaborating with distribution partners. Don also has extensive expertise in sales processes, funnel and forecast management, account management, and coaching and mentoring sales professionals. He is a positive, can-do sales executive with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Sean Hardin, Executive Risk and Operations Officer at Patriot Capital, has held a number of executive, analyst, and senior management positions in the banking and financing industries. Prior to joining Patriot Capital, Sean was a senior vice president in State Bank & Trust’s finance department, where he was responsible for management reporting, investor relations, and corporate development. Before joining State Bank in 2010, Sean worked for iCap Realty Advisors and Flag Bank, supporting underwriting and market debt and equity facilities for commercial real estate transactions and financial analysis.
Mr. Hardin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and Engineering from Washington & Lee University and his M.B.A from Georgia Tech.
Toby Evans serves as the VP of Operations for Patriot Capital. Toby has over 10 years of management experience in the banking and financial services industry. Prior to joining Patriot Capital, Toby held various roles within retail banking following consumer and business credit underwriting for State Bank & Trust Company. Toby graduated from Georgia Southern University where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance.