We’ve been there too
We know first hand what it’s like to identify an opportunity that few others see, and even fewer are brave enough to act upon. It’s exciting! But, too often, bureaucratic lending is a painful barrier that slows or kills a deal.
We started Onate to change that. We’re a team of deeply experienced property lenders and entrepreneurs. We’ve walked in your shoes, and know first hand that windows of opportunity close as fast as they open.
We have the can-do culture and years of lending experience to make the deal happen.
Our founders
Dan Gandesha
Co-Founder, CEO
Dan is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the ICAEW. He also founded UK FinTech Property Partner, a ‘Stock Exchange for Property’ authorised and regulated by the FCA. Dan led the company as CEO from idea to award winning business backed by top tier venture capital. The company was acquired by Better.com in 2021. Dan’s prior career includes accounting, M&A and venture investing across roles with KPMG and Sky.
Christian Faes
Co-Founder
Christian is deeply experienced within property lending, also being the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Lendinvest which floated on the London Stock Exchange in 2021. Christian is also the Founder and CEO of F2 Finance, a new entrant to US short term property lending market. Christian started his career as a lawyer, which included periods with Clifford Chance and Deutsche Bank across real estate law, corporate finance and securitisation.
Will Neale
Co-Founder
Will is a deeply experienced operator, from founding through to IPO. This includes Fonix, a mobile payments and messaging platform with numerous blue chip clients which floated in 2020. Will is also the founder of Grabyo, the industry-leading video platform for live production and editing in the cloud.
Will is also a well known and highly regarded figure within London’s investment community, and began his career at Accenture.
Your client relationship contacts
Juan Galobart Juste
Lending Director, Spain
Juan is based in our Madrid office and has deep experience across all aspects of bridge lending, having been involved with more than €300m / 100+ deals within Spain. Juan also holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Juan can be contacted directly in relation to Spanish bridging opportunities on juan.g@onate.com.
Niall Hurson
Lending Director, Ireland
Niall has over twenty years experience in the real estate finance sector. He has held senior roles in several domestic and global financial institutions, and more recently in the alternative lending sector. Niall brings deep knowledge of the Irish property sector, with strong relationships from deal origination, structuring through to execution, and can be reached directly on email at niall@onate.com or by mobile at +353 83 8000 227.
John Ring
Lending Director, Ireland
John is a Member of the Institute of Bankers and a Qualified Financial Advisor. He has over twenty years lending experience having worked in several financial institutions across a broad range of sectors. John brings a wealth of experience in relation to developing and maintaining client relationships and can be reached directly on email at john@onate.com or by mobile at +353 87 830 5276.
Javier Redondo
Snr Lending Manager, Spain
Javier is based in our Madrid office and brings extensive experience in alternative lending, having led the Spanish market for a leading German alternative lender. He holds a degree in Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at IESE Business School. Javier can be contacted directly regarding Spanish lending opportunities at javier.redondo@onate.com (+34 634 209 095)
Michael Gavin
Snr Lending Manager, Ireland
Michael is a member of the Institute of Bankers, and an Accredited Product Advisor. With nine years experience in the financial services industry, he has a strong track record of managing property portfolios and client relationships. Most recently Michael was in a commercial lending role with a large alternative lender. Michael can be contacted directly at michael@onate.com or on +353 85 145 4200.
Our credit team
Hugh Lyons
Group Head of Credit & Spain
Hugh is based in our Madrid office and brings over 18 years of banking expertise to the team. A member of the Institute of Bankers with an MBA in Finance, he has extensive experience in the real estate market.
As well as being the head of our Spanish operations, Hugh also leads Onate’s Credit function across both Ireland and Spain.
Shane O’Connor
Snr Underwriting Manager
Shane is a member of the Institute of Bankers and a Qualified Financial Advisor.
He has over 8 years experience in the financial services sector and a deep understanding of all aspects of the Irish residential and commercial real estate markets. He works closely with the Underwriting Director in both the underwriting and execution of loans.
Luis Guirao
Lending Analyst
Luis is based in our Madrid office and holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
He brings strong analytical skills and collaborates closely with the Spanish Lending Director and Underwriting Director on loan execution and ongoing portfolio management.
Nicky Hattingh
Case Manager
Nicky has a Bachelors of Business Administration Degree in Business, Communications and Psychology from the University of South Africa.
She has 7 years experience in the financial services sector and works closely with the wider Underwriting team in the execution of loans and ongoing management of the portfolio.
Rónán Brady
Portfolio Analyst
Rónán is a member of the Institute of Bankers, an Accredited Product Adviser, and holds a degree in Business Studies from Maynooth University.
Rónán has prior experience at a non-bank lender and loan servicer, and works closely with the wider Underwriting team in the execution of loans and on ongoing management of the portfolio.
Our finance team
Paul Walshe
Group Financial Controller
Paul is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a Qualified Financial Advisor. He has over 20 years experience across financial services and alternative lending in the Irish market. This includes ABS and CRE financing structures, along with financial management and reporting. Paul works closely with the CEO, with a focus on financial reporting, operations, planning and supporting the overall strategy of the business.
Conor Dunne
Senior Accountant
Conor is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds a degree in Accounting & Finance. He has 5 years experience in real estate and asset-backed finance. Most recently, Conor worked with a large alternative lender in financial reporting, planning & analysis. He works closely with the Group Financial Controller across all aspects of finance.
Calvin Joyce
Accountant
Calvin is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds a degree in Accounting from Atlantic Technological University Galway. He has 5 years experience in real estate and asset-backed finance. Most recently, Calvin worked with a large alternative lender in financial operations, reporting & analysis. He works closely with the wider financial team across all aspects of finance.