RAW Capital Partners co-founder Tim Parkes has stepped down as CEO, with Ben Nichols taking over day-to-day leadership of the Guernsey-based specialist lender.
Parkes (main picture) will remain closely involved with the business as senior advisor and chairman of the RAW Mortgage Fund board, continuing to provide strategic input and specialist support.
He co-founded RAW Capital Partners in 2015 with Richard Avery Wright, after nearly two decades at Barclays and later roles in strategy, business development and management consultancy.
The firm was established after Parkes and Avery Wright identified areas of the UK property finance market that were underserved by mainstream lenders.
RAW initially lent exclusively to foreign nationals, UK expats and Channel Island trust companies investing in the UK buy-to-let market through the RAW Mortgage Fund.
During Parkes’ tenure, RAW Capital Partners expanded its presence in the specialist mortgage market. The RAW Mortgage Fund has surpassed £200 million in assets under management, while the business recorded its strongest year for lending in 2025.
The lender also widened its proposition with the launch of a UK-resident mortgage proposition in December.
Nichols has worked with RAW Capital Partners 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.
He has previously taken responsibility for running the business while Parkes has been away.
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.
“This is an important moment for RAW, but it’s not a change in direction. We will continue to operate with the same focus, standards and approach that brokers, borrowers and investors know us for.”
