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.
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.
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
Underwriting Director
Hugh is a member of the Institute of Bankers, an Accredited Product Advisor and has an MBA in Finance.
A banking professional with over 14 years experience, he has had significant exposure to the Irish real estate market. Hugh works closely with the CEO and wider team in both the underwriting and execution of loan facilities.
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.
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
Snr 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.