Management Team
Deepak Drubhra
Co-Founder
Deepak is the co-founder of Westfort Advisors with vast experience in Real Estate debt advisory, restructuring and investment management. He has restructured over €12bn of commercial real estate debt across Europe since the 2008 financial crisis with a more recent focus on debt advisory and structured finance. Deepak has also been responsible for debt asset management of both performing and non-performing loans as well as leading numerous underwriting portfolios.
Deepak was previously a Director at Mount Street having joined as a Director from Morgan Stanley. Prior to this, he worked at Hatfield Philips and LNR Europe, a European debt fund.
Deepak graduated from Cass Business School and holds a law degree. He is also a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (MRICS).
Richard Herring
Co-Founder
Richard is the co-founder of Westfort Advisors. Richard was previously a Director at Mount Street, where he spearheaded the Debt Advisory service, placing c.£300m CRE debt in its first 18 months. Previously, he supported 15 different clients in underwriting £23bn of non-performing loans (NPL), across 20 jurisdictions. He was also responsible for restructuring both CMBS and balance sheet NPLs across Europe.
Richard was previously a manager in RBS’ Non-Core Division (CRE loan disposals and restructurings), prior to which he served for 10 years as a British Army Officer. He has an MBA (with Distinction) and a BSc (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Victoria Hill
Executive Director | Debt Advisory
Victoria has 20 years’ experience in the real estate sector, where her career has spanned investment acquisitions, equity raising, deployment of joint venture equity, provision of mezzanine, stretch and senior debt within multinational organisations for a variety of clients including venture capital, funds, PropCos and HNWIs. In 2015 she was appointed by CBRE Capital Advisors to source, structure and procure debt on behalf of borrowers in the UK regions. With direct investment, lending and borrowing experience, she has considerable insight into the real estate debt market. In 2019 Victoria also founded PROMIND Capital to provide a specialist approach to maximising human capital through leadership coaching in the real estate sector.
Neeral Patel
Executive Director | Strategic Development
Neeral is known for his vast experience in Real Estate operations and Investment Management. He has an in depth understanding of operating platforms, business development, operational processes, risk management, and how best to leverage technology to procure best in class solutions. He focuses on partnering with key stakeholders, understanding the platforms needs, identifying the risks and problems, designing options for solutions and executing in a timely manner. He is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and has 26 years’ experience in the Real Estate industry. Neeral was previously a Managing Director at BlackRock acting as Chief Operating Officer for EMEA Real Estate.
Our Values
Integrity & Independence
As an independent and dedicated advisory firm, we are free from potential business conflicts and focus solely on the interests of our clients.
Transparency
We believe in transparency; offering direct advice and keeping our clients regularly informed on material events and progress throughout the process.
Professionalism
Dedicated to providing the highest standards of service, we continually strive to improve the way we operate.
Relationship driven solutions
We value long-term relations and are not focused on just closing the deal.
Innovation
We are creative in our approach and thinking and explore all possible routes to meet our clients’ needs.
Investors in People
We aim to foster growth and empowerment at all levels.