WASHINGTON — To help industry executives anticipate and deal with changes in the vehicle finance marketplace, the American Financial Services Association’s (AFSA) said its 15th Annual Vehicle Finance Conference and Exposition will focus on evolving with the changing market.

AFSA’s 2011 Vehicle Finance Conference will be held Feb. 2-4 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco’s Union Square. For the eighth year in a row, the conference will be held in conjunction with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Annual Convention & Expo.

The impact of the new political environment, the evolution of the F&I office, how manufacturing changes affect auto finance, and changes in consumers’ buying habits will be among the topics covered at the conference.

There will also be a panel discussion featuring Daniel Berce, president and CEO, GM Financial/AmeriCredit; George Borst, president and CEO, Toyota Financial Services; Dietmar Exler, president, Mercedes-Benz Financial; and Tim Russi, executive vice president, North America Operations, Ally Financial Inc. The four auto finance CEOs will discuss how they are positioning their companies to evolve with the changing market.

Co-sponsored by the AFSA Education Foundation, the conference will open with remarks from AFSA Vehicle Finance Division Chair Frank Armstrong, president and CEO, World Omni Financial Corp., and AFSA President and CEO Chris Stinebert.

In addition, four NADA leaders will share the dealer perspective in the “Straight Talk with Dealers” session. The panelists will include Stephen Wade, NADA 2011 chairman; William Underriner, NADA 2011 vice chairman; and Michelle Primm, NADA Director.

To view the complete schedule and register for AFSA’s 2011 Vehicle Finance Conference and Exposition, please visit www.vehiclefinanceconference.com. For exhibit and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Matt Gannon at mgannon@afsamail.org.