Fiera Real Estate boosts Spanish presence with key debt appointment

Fiera Real Estate is expanding its presence in Spain by appointing Ignacio Ruíz Gallego as an investment associate in its European Real Estate Debt team. 

Ignacio Ruíz Gallego

This move aims to strengthen Fiera's private markets investment strategy across Spain and Portugal.
Based in Madrid, Ruíz, previously an associate director at CBRE, brings extensive experience in real estate debt, including origination, refinancing, and capital structuring. He will work with David Renshaw and Richard Howe, co-heads of Fiera Real Estate's European Debt Platform, to source and execute real estate debt investments in the Iberian Peninsula. 
Fiera's pan-European Real Estate Debt Strategy, launched in 2023, has already invested significantly in Spanish student accommodation, with projects in Valencia (€19.2 mln) and Alicante (€17.1 mln), and more investments are planned.
Richard Howe, managing director and co-head, European Real Estate Debt, Fiera Real Estate, said: “With alternative lenders continuing to comprise a fraction of the funding landscape, the Iberian market presents a compelling opportunity for well-positioned players to capitalise on structural dislocation. Ruiz's in-depth experience will prove invaluable in accelerating our real estate debt drive in Spain and Portugal, focused on the sweet spot of senior-secured loans to best-in-class sponsors.”
Ignacio Ruíz Gallego, investment associate, Fiera Real Estate, commented: “Fiera's European debt platform has carved out its presence in the Spanish market, buoyed by a significant supply/demand imbalance in the PBSA sector. As alternative lenders look to take up a growing share of a space once held near exclusively by banks, and borrowers become increasingly accustomed to working with non-bank sources, I look forward to further cementing Fiera’s presence in the Iberian market.”  
Charles Allen, head of European Real Estate, Fiera Real Estate, added: “Our European Debt Platform has already established itself as an early mover in the Spanish market, and Ignacio’s appointment will help us build on that momentum. It also reflects our ambition to deepen our presence in key European real estate markets and capitalise on the compelling opportunities we see across the region.”
Fiera Real Estate is part of global asset manager Fiera Capital.