RAW Capital Partners co-founder Tim Parkes has stepped down as chief executive and managing director Ben Nichols has taken over the role.
Parkes will remain closely involved with the Guernsey-based specialist lender providing strategic support as a senior adviser and chairman of the RAW Mortgage Fund board.
Parkes co-founded RAW Capital Partners in 2015 alongside Richard Avery Wright, following nearly two decades at Barclays and subsequent roles in strategy, business development and management consultancy.
Parkes and Avery Wright felt that parts of the UK property finance market were underserved by mainstream lenders.
RAW initially lent exclusively to foreign nationals, UK expats and Channel Island trust companies investing in the buy-to-let market through the RAW Mortgage Fund.
Nichols has worked at RAW for more than four years, initially joining as chief financial officer before becoming interim managing director in February 2024 and managing director in September 2024.
During Parkes’ time as chief executive, the RAW Mortgage Fund has surpassed £200m in assets under management, while the business recorded its strongest year for lending in 2025.
It launched a UK-resident mortgage proposition in December.
Parkes says: “RAW Capital Partners has been a huge part of my life.
“When Richard and I founded the business more than a decade ago, we knew there was room in the market for a lender that could take a more considered and flexible approach to property finance, and deliver a consistent return to investors.
“I am very proud of what the team has achieved since then, and we’re really well placed to grow further in the months and years to come.
“Stepping back from the CEO role comes at the right time for me and for the business.
“Ben knows the business extremely well and has already led it during periods when I have been away, so this is an established and familiar dynamic for our team, brokers and investors.
“I have every confidence in him, the wider team and the direction of the business moving forward.”
Nichols adds: “Tim’s contribution to RAW Capital Partners as co-founder and CEO has been significant.
“He has played a central role in shaping the business, its culture and its approach to lending, and we are pleased that we will continue to benefit from his expertise as a senior advisor and through the fund’s board.”
