THE TEAM
MITCHELL BELLENIE
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
LENDING
Origination & Client Coverage (OCC)
Credit
KAIRAN HOWARD-SHAWBELL
GLOBAL HEAD OF OCC
LENDING
TBC
GLOBAL HEAD OF CREDIT
LENDING
With a career dedicated to real estate and real estate finance, Mitchell Bellenie has developed an in-depth understanding of property markets across England and Wales. Starting out in estate agency at a young age, he quickly made his mark, transacting on over £100 million worth of property deals across London, the South Coast, and the South West. His sharp market insight and ability to identify opportunities positioned him as a top performer in the industry.
In 2017, Mitchell transitioned into real estate finance, where he has played a pivotal role in helping start-up lenders expand their loan books at exceptional rates. His expertise extends beyond transactions, encompassing the design and implementation of sales, credit, and operational strategies that drive sustainable business growth. A firm believer in data-driven decision-making, Mitchell’s meticulous market research and analysis underpin his success in delivering strong, measurable results.
Passionate about supporting the growth of first time property investors, portfolio landlords and developers, and even family offices, Mitchell’s commitment to helping businesses and individuals build profitable, long-term success is unshakeable.
Outside of work Mitchell enjoys country life in the Cotswolds with his wife, son, daughter, cat, and dog. A keen motorcyclist, gym goer, talented home cook, and expert picture frame hanger-upper, he leaves it to others to decide which hobby needs prioritising!
JAMES GUTIERREZ
RACHEL SANTOS
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & REGIONAL HEAD
APAC, OCC
LENDING
HEAD OF CASE MANAGEMENT
LENDING
DIANA LOPEZ
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
LENDING
Diana joins the Finanze Capital team as a business development manager, located in Manchester. With over 15 years of experience in customer service, she brings a strong foundation in understanding and meeting client needs. Her background includes both B2B (business-to-business) interactions and direct-to-consumer roles such as face-to-face and door-to-door sales, where she consistently excelled in building trust, nurturing relationships, and upselling.
Throughout her career, Diana has demonstrated exceptional versatility and adaptability. She is a fast learner who thrives on meeting deadlines and exceeding goals across different roles and industries. Her extensive experience in customer-facing roles has equipped her with excellent communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills—making her a reliable and relatable professional who clients can count on. Diana brings passion to everything she does, approaching each task and interaction with energy, commitment, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact.
Outside of work, she enjoys keeping fit and healthy, traveling, building relationships, spending quality time with family and learning new languages. These passions fuel her dynamic approach to work and help her connect with a wide variety of clients from all walks of life. As she steps into the world of property finance, Diana is excited to apply her knowledge and dedication to help clients achieve their financial and property goals.
Rachel started her career working in retail, within account management and billing before moving into IT help desk support. Following which she worked in the property sector focusing on the sourcing new properties for investors, along with reaching out to owners to find properties for sale. Graduating with a degree in Programming and with further qualifications in Computer Hardware Servicing, her strengths have always been a methodical attention to detail and the ability to streamline business processes.
Working as the Head of Case Management for Finanze Capital, designing and managing the onboarding process for all new customers. This ensures that new clients get the best possible service all throughout their transactions with us. For returning customers she continues to look after them, ensuring documentation is up to date and accurate and assists the business team with preparing applications for underwriting.
Kairan is a highly experienced finance professional and property finance broker with a career spanning over eight years in the sector. He began his journey in finance working with a prestigious family office in Mayfair, where he gained invaluable insight into the lending side of the industry. Since then, he has built a reputation as a trusted adviser to clients navigating the complex world of property finance.
As Global Head of Origination & Client Coverage, in Finanze Capital, he leads with a client-first mindset and a passion for delivering tailored financial solutions. With a deep understanding of the full property finance lifecycle — from BTL mortgages to large-scale development and bridging finance, as well as more niche strategies such as title splitting and lease extensions — he brings a strategic, solutions-oriented approach to every case. His ability to structure complex deals and align them with client goals has earned him the trust of developers, investors, and business owners across the UK.
Prior to joining Finanze Capital, Kairan held positions at specialist brokerages and lenders, refining his expertise in deal structuring, credit risk, and relationship management. Today, he channels that experience into helping clients access the right funding at the right time, with a focus on transparency, speed, and long-term value.
At Finanze Capital, he is also instrumental in shaping the company’s vision, culture, and growth strategy — always with a focus on innovation and client empowerment.
James Gutierrez brings over 15 years of versatile experience to his role as Senior Associate, Lending within Finanze Capital, specialising in strategic relationship building, market analysis and tailored client solutions. With a proven track record across industries such as outsourcing, recruitment, media and financial services. James excels at identifying growth opportunities and delivering tangible value through carefully crafted brokerage solutions.
James’ background as Senior Customer Success Manager at Magic Inc. and Co-Founder of TNT Fight underscores his ability to manage complex client relationships and navigate diverse market landscapes. His cross-cultural proficiency as a dual citizen of the U.S. and the Philippines ensures effective communication and seamless execution of international transactions. Grounded in a strong understanding of psychology, James adeptly aligns client motivations with strategic outcomes.
At Finanze, James is committed to driving measurable results, enhancing client satisfaction and fostering long-term partnerships that support sustained business growth.