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Meet the Team

Over 90 years of combined lending experience across banking, private credit, and real estate finance

Our Partnerships

We maintain strong partnerships with leading legal advisors, valuation firms, and professional property advisors
across the Irish market, ensuring comprehensive support for every transaction.
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Paul Downling
CEO & Co-Founder
Paul is co-founder of relm. He has 25 years of experience in real estate lending with extensive experience in financing commercial and...
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Conor McSweeney
Chief Operating Officer
Conor leads operations at relm and brings extensive experience across areas of risk analysis, quantitative finance and...
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Ronan Yeates
chief investment officer
Ronan Yeates joined Relm from KKR & Co in Dublin where he worked as a Principal as part of the Asset-Based Finance team...
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Ruth O’Brien
head of credit management
With 15 years’ experience in real estate between Dublin and London banks, Ruth has been with relm since the beginning...
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Thomas McGarry
Senior Portfolio Manager
Tom joined the RELM team as Portfolio Manager in 2024, spending the past 8 years with the Asset and Portfolio management team...
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Smiling man in a suit and white shirt against a gray background, looking confidently at the camera.
Marc McMahon
Lending Director
Marc joined Relm as a Lending Director in 2025. Marc has c.20 years real estate lending experience and is well networked in the...
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Donal Crotty
Lending Director
Donal joined Relm Finance in January 2026 and has over 20 years’ experience in real estate, corporate lending, professional services...
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Mark Mullins
Lending Director
As a Lending Director at relm, Mark originates new opportunities in the commercial real estate market delivering results...
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Michael O’Connor
Portfolio Manager
Michael joined the relm team in 2024 having previously began his career in the real estate market in 2017 gaining diverse experience...
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Brian Ryan
Portfolio Manager
Brian joined relm in 2025 having spent the previous four years in PwC in the Asset & Wealth Management practice where...
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robert keal
Data Analyst
Robert joined the Relm team in 2025 after achieving an BSc honour’s degree in Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Science at University...
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Jordan Athaide
Credit Analyst
Jordan joined Relm at the start of 2026. Prior to joining the firm, Jordan worked at a family office in Dublin focused on commercial...
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About Us
Smiling man in a blue suit and white shirt against a gray background.
Paul Downling
CEO & Co-Founder

Paul is co-founder of relm. He has 25 years of experience in real estate lending with extensive experience in financing commercial and residential investment and development. Paul was Head of Property in AIB’s Corporate Work-out unit managing a portfolio of>€4bn and, prior to establishing relm, was Head of Property Development Finance at AIB where he was involved in originating and managing significant real estate lending transactions of c. €1bn. Paul has been at the helm of relm since its inception.


A failed guitarist still noodling with a growing collection, a rugby alickadoo and a mediocre road cyclist. He is a lateral thinker, an Ireland Inc. devotee with an avid interest in doing business.

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Professional man in a suit with a neutral background, smiling confidently at the camera.
Conor McSweeney
Chief Operating Officer

Conor leads operations at Relm and brings extensive experience across areas of risk analysis, quantitative finance and statistical modelling. Since joining Relm, Conor has been responsible for a large volume of the business’ analysis and underpins our commercial decisions. Relm’s reigning pool champion since early 2022, Conor holds an honour’s degree in Actuarial Mathematics and previous experience in insolvency and asset management roles.

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Ronan Yeates
chief investment officer

Ronan Yeates joined Relm from KKR & Co in Dublin where he worked as a Principal as part of the Asset-Based Finance team with a focus on specialty finance investments including real estate backed NPLs, construction lending and transportation finance. Prior to joining KKR in 2021 Ronan Yeates worked at PwC Ireland’s aviation finance advisory services team. Ronan Yeates holds a first-class honours degree in Business & Law from University College Dublin and a Master of Accounting from UCD’s Smurfit Business School. He is a Chartered Accountant, Chartered Tax Advisor and a CFA Charterholder.

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Ruth O’Brien
head of credit management

With 15 years’ experience in real estate between Dublin and London banks, Ruth has been with relm since the beginning. Ruth evaluates and structures deals, ensuring efficient deployment to our customers and has built and developed our business’ operations structure. relm’s oracle and resident problem solver, Ruth’s focus is to support customers achieving business plan objectives. Ruth holds a first-class honour’s masters in Financial Services and an honour’s degree in Business Studies.

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Thomas McGarry
Senior Portfolio Manager

Tom joined the RELM team as Portfolio Manager in 2024, spending the past 8 years with the Asset and Portfolio management team at Pepper Advantage. Before this, he spent 12 years in a variety of portfolio management, relationship management and credit roles at PTSB across a variety of business channels . Tom holds an honours degree in Financial Services from the Institute of Banking and UCD and is also a Qualified Financial Advisor. In his spare time, Tom thrives on the hardship of following the Irish national football team and volunteers at the local club St Patrick’s Athletic in Dublin.

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Marc McMahon
Lending Director

Marc joined Relm as a Lending Director in 2025. Marc has c.20 years real estate lending experience and is well networked in the Irish market. He has a degree in commerce from UCD and masters in Project Management from Smurfit Business School.

He is long-time supporter of Newcastle United and is a general sports enthusiast now confined to playing less physically demanding sports such as golf, tennis and padel.

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Donal Crotty
Lending Director

Donal joined Relm Finance in January 2026 and has over 20 years’ experience in real estate, corporate lending, professional services, asset management, and restructuring.

Having previously worked on EY’s Capital & Debt Advisory team, Donal specialised in structuring, negotiating, and raising debt from domestic and international lenders for all Real Estate asset classes. Donal previously held credit, direct lending and origination roles with bank and non-bank lenders.

Donal has extensive leadership experience and a well‑established professional network across lending. He is a keen sports enthusiast having represented Leinster and Ireland in rugby at schools, U21 and University levels.

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Mark Mullins
Lending Director

As a Lending Director at relm, Mark originates new opportunities in the commercial real estate market delivering results garnered from 22 years of experience. With a strong work ethic and knowledge of driving revenue Mark’s main motivation is developing relationships with new and existing customers and attaining transactions appropriate for relm.

A devoted sports fan, especially when it comes to rugby, he spends a lot of his free time on the side of a pitch “calmly” conveying directions.

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Michael O’Connor
Portfolio Manager

Michael joined the relm team in 2024 having previously began his career in the real estate market in 2017 gaining diverse experience across various roles before becoming a Portfolio Manager at relm, where he underwrites deals and collaborates with stakeholders to bring to completion. He is currently pursuing a master’s in real estate at TU Dublin.

Outside of work, Michael serves as a Director on the Board of Active Connections, a charity that empowers disadvantaged youth and children with disabilities through outdoor adventure therapy to enhance their mental health and well-being. Michael is also a long-suffering Tottenham Hotspur supporter and general sports fan.

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Brian Ryan
Portfolio Manager

Brian joined relm in 2025 having spent the previous four years in PwC in the Asset & Wealth Management practice where he qualified as both a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Tax Advisor. He graduated from Dublin City University with a First-Class Honours degree in Accounting and Finance, followed by an Honours master’s degree in accounting. Brian primarily manages underlying facilities, prepares reporting and liaises with investors in relm. In addition to his professional achievements, he has enjoyed a distinguished sporting career. He has won two Senior All-Ireland Hurling titles with Limerick and an All-Ireland Club Championship with Na Fianna in 2025.

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robert keal
Data Analyst

Robert joined the Relm team in 2025 after achieving an BSc honour’s degree in Financial Mathematics and Actuarial Science at University College Cork (UCC), where he focused on financial modelling, probability theory, risk analysis and computational finance.

Before joining Relm, Robert gained experience at BNY Mellon as a Fund Accounting Intern, where he worked with teams across Ireland and the UK to reconcile financial data and complete daily financial operations.

Robert is a member of Royal Cork Yacht Club and has represented both nationally and internationally in France, Spain, Malta and the UK multiple times.

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Jordan Athaide
Credit Analyst

Jordan joined Relm at the start of 2026. Prior to joining the firm, Jordan worked at a family office in Dublin focused on commercial real estate lending, gaining experience across the full credit lifecycle including origination, underwriting, closing, and portfolio management. Jordan holds a BCom from McGill University with a focus in Finance, Accounting, and Sustainability, as well as an MSc in Business Analytics from Trinity College Dublin. Jordan is also an avid runner, having previously competed for Trinity’s athletics team and now runs with the Donore Harriers in Chapelizod.

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