Zenzic Development Finance (ZDF), the development finance arm of Zenzic Capital, has appointed Roger Comben as head of lending.
Comben (main picture) brings more than 20 years’ experience in property and development finance. He joins from Clearwell Capital, where he spent six years as head of loan origination in its development finance division. He has also held senior roles at Maslow Capital, United Trust Bank and Nationwide Building Society.
At ZDF, Comben will oversee deal origination, execution and post-investment monitoring, leading the lender’s team and reporting to Zenzic Capital co-founder and chief investment officer Thomas Lloyd-Jones.
STRETCH SENIOR DEVELOPMENT FINANCE
ZDF focuses on residential-led schemes, providing SME housebuilders and developers with up to 75% loan-to-GDV stretch senior development finance. The lender targets lower to mid-market deals between £2m and £20m – a segment it says has seen significant retrenchment from clearing banks in recent years.
Following what it described as a strong 2025, ZDF has already completed two deals since January, including a £24m facility to fund a new luxury holiday resort in Oxfordshire.
A further £10m of financing has been credit-approved, with additional projects in the pipeline as the lender eyes a record year in 2026.
SOLUTIONS DRIVEN
Thomas Lloyd-Jones, Co-founder and CIO of Zenzic Capital, says: “SME real estate developers in the UK are often overlooked by mainstream lenders and addressing this gap is central to ZDF’s strategy.
“Roger’s two decades of deal-making experience with top tier organisations enhances our capabilities and with him on board we are well placed to build on our strong momentum and support clients across a wide range of sectors and geographies.”
Comben adds: “Zenzic has spent the past decade establishing itself as a creative, solutions-driven financier across the capital stack.
“Joining Nadine, Tom and the team presents an exciting opportunity to help shape the next phase of growth for the Zenzic Development Finance offering.”
