I founded Clearwell Capital in 2012 to redress the lack of credit availability for property developers following the financial crisis. Since then, my team and I have financed £382m of new homes through alternative property development finance and supported over 100 residential development projects.
My experience in finance spans over 20 years. I spent seven years at Lehman Brothers, where, as an Executive Director, I built and acquired loan origination businesses. I was also Head of Origination for mortgage trading at Deutsche Bank. I hold a Masters in Finance from London Business School and when am not dealing in numbers you can find me on my bike cycling across the Chilterns.
I have 45 years senior industry and advisory experience in private equity, investment banking, commercial/consumer finance, and property including Chair, Vice Chair, CEO, CFO, and CRO roles and serving on 35 Boards of Directors in UK and Europe. Past roles included CRO Lehman Brothers European Structured Finance (€30bln European mortgage/NPL portfolio), CEO Security Pacific Trust (UK bank), Vice Chairman Hellenic Bank (Cyprus) and CFO Annington Homes (60,000 residential properties). I also held senior positions at Credit Suisse, Nomura, Dresdner Kleinwort, and AnaCap Financial Partners. Today I lead Clipper Consulting (global risk advisory firm I founded in 2010) and serve as NED of Bullish GI (global crypto currency exchange). In my free time I collect and ride classic British motorcycles.
Sean Dawson is a qualified accountant. His 27 years of experience covers construction, banking and private equity. He was most recently Portfolio Manager in Anacap’s credit opportunities team (AUM £2bn+). Sean is responsible for finance, operations and compliance and sits on the Credit Committee.
Gemma Iannaccone has 22 years experience in commercial property and lending. She joins Clearwell from Urban Exposure, where she spent 8 years and managed their credit function. Gemma is responsible for the underwriting and execution of new loans and the ongoing asset management of loans made.
Roger Comben joined Clearwell in 2019 having worked in development finance at Maslow Capital and United Trust Bank. He has 15 years of experience working in commercial property and development finance. Roger is responsible for managing new enquiries, through initial review and due diligence.
I use my experience in providing financial solutions to the UK’s property market to source and structure mezzanine, bridging and development facility agreements for developers. Before joining Clearwell Capital I acted as lending director for Alpha Property Lending where I was responsible for origination and management of development loans across the UK. Prior to Alpha Property Lending, I was head of the origination team at private equity firm Cogress negotiating Joint Venture Agreements and Mezzanine facilities. Inside and outside the office I’m a keen sports fan and once a week manage a game of five a-side, rain or shine. I love the game but shine is always preferable.
Ashley Feerick joined Clearwell in April 2022, from Alpha Bank London Limited, where he was the Head of Real Estate Finance. He has extensive experience in all aspects of funding residential development and commercial property having spent over 30 years working in private, commercial, and corporate banking environments. Ashley is responsible for managing the loan process from the initial approval to the completion of the loan, and ultimately its repayment.
Alex Stoner joined Clearwell in February 2022, having studied a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from University College London followed by a master’s degree in Real Estate Finance from Henley Business School. Alex is responsible for the initial underwriting of loans, writing of credit papers, and overseeing the loan management system.
I joined Clearwell Capital in October 2023 after making the trip over from New Zealand. In Wellington, I worked in the Corporate Property Finance team at Westpac for almost 5 years. I am responsible for the completion and maintenance of facilities, monitoring the progress of developments, and maintaining relationships with counterparties. Outside of work, I am a keen sportsman whether that be playing or spectating.