Property Bridges is a Dublin-based peer-to-peer lending platform focused on the construction sector. Founded in 2018 in response to Ireland’s housing shortage and the lack of lending available to small and medium-sized home builders, the business connects retail investors with developers seeking finance for residential schemes.
As Property Bridges expanded, the business needed more structure around finance, governance and reporting. The company had an in-house Financial Director, but the move into regulation brought a new level of rigour, including formal board meetings, quarterly board packs, and more detailed expectations from directors and independent board members. At the same time, the business was entering a new phase commercially. Having moved from startup losses into profitability, the leadership team needed sharper support around tax, financial efficiency, and opportunities such as R&D tax credits. They wanted practical, specialist input that would strengthen reporting, support the board, and create tangible financial value.
Our CFO, John Desmond, whose experience in construction and larger-scale businesses made him a strong fit. His initial focus was on improving board reporting: strengthening the board packs, refining the financial statements, and helping the team understand what directors and shareholders would expect to see as the business matured. He also brought more structure to the financial side of the business by introducing templates and repeatable reporting formats which improved efficiency.
John also supported the team on wider financial matters, including tax advice, KPI setting, and helping management think more strategically about what information they needed to track and why. Importantly, as the support was flexible, Property Bridges could tap into John’s experience when needed, dial up support around key projects, and access specialist expertise.
We were able to give Property Bridges the benefit of experienced financial leadership at exactly the point the business needed it. John helped turn reporting into something more structured, repeatable and board ready, giving the company greater confidence in how it presented financial performance and how it responded
to scrutiny from directors and stakeholders. He also helped the team spot areas they may not have prioritised on their own, including tax efficiency and the potential value of R&D tax credits. Just as importantly, he brought external perspective and experience from larger businesses, helping both the CEO and the Financial Director understand how stronger governance, clearer KPIs and more formal reporting would support future growth. The result was a more mature and scalable business, with the right checks, balances and financial discipline.
David Jelly | CEO Property Bridges
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