The Arc & Co. Podcast

Fortwell Capital is a principal lender providing short and medium term financing solutions to developers and investors within the UK real estate sector.

Matthew Yassin meets with Johan Groothaert, CEO at Fiduciam to talk about his journey into the financial world and the challenges that Fiduciam has faced over the past couple of months.

Mark and Andrew discuss the beginnings of Marks career and how that shaped the start of Octane Capital, along with how the perception of the industry has changed over the years.

They also discuss what makes Octane different from other lenders in the market and how they have adapted over the past year.

Following last week’s episode, Andrew and Jon explore the beginnings of Ortus and its growth to the business it is today. Later on, they discuss how technology is helping Ortus and the important role people and relationships play in the lending industry.

Jon recalls his beginnings on the Graduate Scheme at the Bank of Scotland, travelling in Australia and the navigating collapse of the banking industry in 2008. An inspiring listen for anyone trying to break into the industry, Andrew and Jon also discuss identifying a gap in the market, the intricacies of setting up a business and most importantly, getting the phone to ring!

Matthew Yassin, Director at Arc & Co. meets this week with Jo Heywood, Chief Credit Officer at Propfin. Jo talks about the journey Propfin have been on to date and how they approach underwriting to get the best results for their clients. Broadening our discussion, Matthew and Jo also talk about how brokers can add value to that process.

To get us back in the swing, this week Andrew Robinson meets with Christian Faes, Co-Founder and Chairman of Lendinvest. Christian talks about the history of Lendinvest and the journey they have been on so far. They also discuss the evolution of tech within the industry and the challenges facing the broader market.

Lance has been the CEO and Deputy Chairman to a fully quoted Plc Group. His commercial background includes founding , acquiring and the selling of businesses both in the UK and internationally. Lance also has a long established track record in funding many property transactions.

With a career in financial services that extends over 30 years (and counting), Colin has held a number of high-profile senior roles and is a specialist in entrepreneurial start-ups.

He was a founding director of the breakthrough non-conforming lender iGroup, and helped oversee and manage its sale to GE Capital in 2001. Soon after, Colin was appointed CEO of GE Home Lending, a new entity comprising the former iGroup and First National Bank businesses.

Colin left GE in 2004 to become a founding director and CEO of Money Partners Limited, another specialist lending business that was sold in 2008 to global investment banking giant Goldman Sachs.

In 2011, Colin was headhunted to become CEO of Omni Capital Partners, a new short- term property lender that was renamed Fortwell Capital in 2017. Under his stewardship, Fortwell became a leading player in the real estate development and structured finance worlds.

Away from the office, Colin likes nothing better than a relaxing day fly-fishing, playing a round of golf, and (less relaxing) lending his support to ‘The Eagles’ (aka Crystal Palace FC).

With a career in financial services that extends over 30 years (and counting), Colin has held a number of high-profile senior roles and is a specialist in entrepreneurial start-ups.

He was a founding director of the breakthrough non-conforming lender iGroup, and helped oversee and manage its sale to GE Capital in 2001. Soon after, Colin was appointed CEO of GE Home Lending, a new entity comprising the former iGroup and First National Bank businesses.

Colin left GE in 2004 to become a founding director and CEO of Money Partners Limited, another specialist lending business that was sold in 2008 to global investment banking giant Goldman Sachs.

In 2011, Colin was headhunted to become CEO of Omni Capital Partners, a new short- term property lender that was renamed Fortwell Capital in 2017. Under his stewardship, Fortwell became a leading player in the real estate development and structured finance worlds.

Away from the office, Colin likes nothing better than a relaxing day fly-fishing, playing a round of golf, and (less relaxing) lending his support to ‘The Eagles’ (aka Crystal Palace FC).