Ashley Ilsen
Chief Executive Officer
Our Executive Team
Our team has combined decades of property development and development finance experience. They are on hand at all times to help you and can offer their expertise to help your business grow.
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Ashley spent his early professional life working in China in the FMCG sector and completing a Master’s degree in International Business. He then spent five years at development finance lender Regentsmead progressing through the business to become Joint Head. Ashley has overseen just short of £200m of development funds deployed into UK residential projects and has amassed a wealth of development finance experience and relevant contacts. He is passionate about housebuilding and has previously consulted the DCLG on housebuilding legislation. In February 2017 he was nominated in the ‘One to Watch’ category at the annual Norwood Property Awards which recognises outstanding young talent in the property sector. In his spare time Ashley is an avid supporter of Tottenham Hotspur and a keen boxing fan.
Email Ashley: ashley@magnetcapital.co.uk
Sam Howard
Managing Director
Sam spent seven years at Regentsmead where he was Chief Operating Officer and Joint Head. He has a wealth of experience in development finance and property law having spent five years at two leading city law firms and an MBA from Oxford University. Sam was highlighted in the 2016 Spears 500 as a catalyst for Regentsmead’s best ever year. He is a passionate advocate for the industry and a regular media contributor and speaker at industry awards. When Sam is not working he spends his time chasing his three young children around the garden and following Manchester United, which is not as enjoyable as it used to be.
Email Sam: sam@magnetcapital.co.uk
Paul Israel
Chief Financial Officer
Paul is a Chartered Accountant and has an MBA from CASS Business School. Paul was CFO of Cogress – a private equity company from start up in 2014 to 2017. Has has been Finance Director and NED in many successful entrepreneurial companies including property, businesses and hotels taking him to South America, the Middle East and the USA. Paul has experience in raising funds for growth, building models and dynamic KPI’s for decision making, building long term relationships with external funders and leading on financial control and contract negotiations. Out of hours, Paul likes watching Arsenal, enjoying family life and a fine single malt whisky. Paul is a non-executive director at Lapid Property, Umi Digital Media and Anglo Education Services.
Email Paul: paul@magnetcapital.co.uk
Patron of
Debra Lebovits
Operations Manager
Debra is a leader in her sector in the specialist finance industry. She joined Magnet Capital in October 2018 after some seven years working at Regentsmead, during which she managed over £100m of finance development loans. She is responsible for the day to day running of the loan book and liaising between borrowers and the Magnet Capital professional teams. Debra has previously worked in the finance department of John Lewis and Barclays Bank.
Email Debra: debra@magnetcapital.co.uk
Brian Kerr
Sales Executive
Brian has spent most of his career in the recruitment industry working for engineering, education and tech consultancies before managing accounts with senior tech professionals across Europe. With a wealth of experience in relationship management and rapport building, Brian has a proven track record of going above and beyond for his clients in any industry. His family has worked in the construction world for more than 35 Years, offering Brian a close look into the industry. Outside of work, Brian can be found in the gym on most days or out walking his dogs.
Email Brian: brian@magnetcapital.co.uk
Will Calito
Sales Executive
Will moved to West London from Sussex in 2021. Coming from a property centric family, he began his own property career joining a nationwide estate agency firm in London where he spent two years. After expanding his own knowledge of the property sector and UK property market he joined Magnet Capital. Will has also begun to complete his own property developments which he hopes to grow as time goes on. Outside of work he enjoys trying new restaurants and despite all failed attempts, Will is not a football fan.
Email Will: will@magnetcapital.co.uk
Jeremy Woolf
Loans and Operations Consultant
Jeremy graduated from the University of Nottingham with a Masters in mechanical engineering and went on to work at Rolls-Royce for three years. He has always dedicated spare time towards personal property projects and went on to found a property management company in 2016. His passion for property lead him from engineering to the property-finance sector, where he joined Regentsmead to focus on loan underwriting and process improvements. In his spare time, Jeremy is a keen Arsenal fan and tennis player.
Email Jeremy: jeremy@magnetcapital.co.uk
Deborah Field
Operations Executive
Having graduated with a First from Leeds University in French and Spanish, Deborah went on to qualify as a solicitor at a top 10 international firm. In between raising three children, she held a number of positions within the Real Estate sector. Notable roles include head of the in-house legal team at a property management company and as the sole in-house solicitor for a private sector company that helped public sector bodies to unlock the value within their property assets. Outside of work, Deborah volunteers for a local charity that distributes food to families that need support. She has no interest in sport or music, but likes anything chocolate related (other than a Bounty).
Email Deborah: deborah@magnetcapital.co.uk
Laura Bresler
Operations Consultant
Laura is a Chartered Accountant with 12 years’ industry experience. Shortly after qualifying at Deloitte and Touche, Laura joined EMI Music and spent 8 years working across a number of global roles including responsibility for emerging markets finance. A short career break then followed to start a family. Since then Laura has gained property industry and start up experience working at Regentsmead and Propagator Group. Outside of work Laura enjoys family life, anything food or drink related, all kinds of theatre and anything Japanese.
