Raj is a chartered accountant, having qualified at City firm Dixon Wilson.

He then went on to play a key role in establishing Topland’s lending division in 2012, where he spent over 15 years and worked with now CEO of Mera, Edward Matthews.

In his new position, Raj will work closely with the origination and underwriting teams and help develop Mera’s proposition and processes.

“The opportunity to be involved in shaping a lender with the kind of vision and ambition for growth that Mera has is extremely exciting,” said Raj.

“Considering the relatively early stage the business is at, the structure and funding firepower that is already in place is an excellent indicator of its future in real estate lending.

•   The Finance Professional Show 2024: The Video
•   Mera provides £3m bridging loan for Reading co-living scheme
•   Mera targets prime UK offices as return-to-work gains ground

“I am looking forward to driving our involvement in high quality deals and investments, particularly as opportunities continue to grow in today’s evolving market.”

Edward added: “Mera is ramping up its lending and operations in a considered, sustainable way; adding a portfolio manager was the natural next step to ensure we maintain a best-in-class experience for our investors and borrowers.

“The level of experience and financial modelling skillset that Raj adds to the team is genuinely exciting and is exactly who we need to continue our strategic growth.

“In particular, the parts of the sector that we are seeing huge opportunity in — office, for example — demand dedicated loan and asset management support as these assets go through stabilisation and repositioning.”