Gatehouse Bank appoints Head of Real Estate Investment
Gatehouse Bank plc (“Gatehouse”), the London-based investment bank specialising in Shariah-compliant products and services, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Swan in a newly-created role as Head of Real Estate Investment, effective immediately. Mr. Swan will lead the firm’s Real Estate Investment department in the origination, management and realisation of real estate equity investments.
Gatehouse has established a successful track record in real estate investment, and following a number of successful exits in 2014, currently advises funds with approximately $1.5 billion assets in the United States and United Kingdom. Moving forward, the business is focused on diversifying its investment capabilities and expanding the geographical footprint of its portfolio. Mr. Swan’s appointment will play a crucial role in realising the Bank’s ambition to broaden its investment mandate to include pan-European investment opportunities.
Mr. Swan has over two decades of experience in the real estate investment sector, working for industry leaders such as Tishman Speyer, Arcapita and WW Advisors. Prior to Gatehouse, he founded Bridgeport Real Estate in 2012, a real estate company advising investors on a range of large scale off-market transactions. Prior to this in 2008, he established the London office for WW Advisors’ pan-European investment fund, which had capital commitments in excess of £200 million, investing across the continent. This included the acquisition of a Dutch office portfolio, as well as investing in three UK joint ventures. He was also a founding member of Arcapita’s London office, where he was responsible for over $1 billion of investments in pan-European real estate across Logistics, Senior Living and Residential sectors.
Henry Thompson, Chief Executive Officer at Gatehouse Bank, commented on the appointment: “The Real Estate Investment business lies at the heart of the Gatehouse offering, so we are thrilled to welcome David, with his wealth of experience, as the business’s leader. David is a well-respected investor with a unique mix of expertise in international real estate and Shariah-compliant products. In particular, he has an impressive track record in dealing with off-market and joint venture transactions, two areas that we are focusing on in order to broaden our offering and diversify our portfolio for the benefit of our clients and our investors.”
On joining Gatehouse Bank, David Swan commented: “I am pleased to be joining Gatehouse at such a pivotal time for the Bank as it looks to establish new strategic partnerships and as it seeks to deploy capital across the UK and continental Europe. I am very excited by the opportunities that Gatehouse presents and look forward to joining the team.”