Our Founders - Zake

Ammar Al-Rikabi

Investment Director

Ammar is a corporate investment and finance professional with over 21 years of experience. As the Investment Director at Zake he is responsible for equity and capital raising. Over the last 16 years, he has been managing private equity and debt investments, with over £1bn of equity and debt transactional experience. Since 2019, he has held senior management positions where he has been responsible for institutional capital real estate investment funds. He has an extensive network of international investors and lenders, including HNWIs, Family Offices, Wealth Managers, Funds and Banks. Between 2011 and 2018, he was the Investment Director of Arch Investment Partners, a Middle Eastern Multi-Family Office Private Equity investment fund and advisory based in London.

In the past, he has held roles that were focused on Private Equity and Debt, Corporate Finance and Capital Markets in institutions including TBI International (a JP Morgan Partner) and Lehman Brothers. He graduated with a MBA from IESE Business School, Spain, and a BSc (Computer Science) from University College London.

James Harding

Partner

James Harding is a Chartered Engineer with a career spanning over two decades across some of the world’s most technically demanding and geographically diverse industries. In 2022, he co-founded ZAKE alongside Jon, bringing with him a wealth of experience from infrastructure, energy, and residential property development.

His background in managing complex supply chains, navigating regulatory frameworks, coordinating multi-stakeholder environments, and executing large-scale projects with disciplined risk management has given ZAKE a distinctive edge — ensuring projects are consistently delivered on time, within budget, and to the highest quality.

Before transitioning into residential development, James led some of the UK’s most significant infrastructure and energy projects. Internationally, he served as Lead Client Civil Engineer for the Qatari Electricity and Water Corporation, overseeing construction projects in the country which added 567MW to existing energy supply. Back in the UK, James served as Project Manager for a $150 million oil rig refurbishment and the drilling of a new oil field — a flagship project that generated an additional £1 million in revenue per day. His work on the project led to his appointment to the Leadership Team of what was the UK’s leading oil and gas project at the time — the construction of a new £2 billion offshore rig.

One of the most remarkable chapters of James’s career began on his honeymoon in Malawi with his wife, Gemma. Having spotted a charity appeal for engineering support, James put himself forward and was appointed Project Director for the Krizevac Project, leading a team of over 300 construction staff to deliver a national IT centre for learning, a two-storey secondary school, and various support buildings. James then went on to establish a 200 staff construction company in Malawi delivering housing projects and warehouses for the local tea and tobacco estates.

Earlier in his career, James worked on projects of national and international significance. As a bridge designer, he contributed to the redevelopment of Stratford International Station, acting as structural engineer for a new large subway which formed a key piece of infrastructure that served the 2012 London Olympics, and carried out structural inspections of bridges and tunnels across the central London rail network during late-night track closures. His early career also took him to Namibia and South Africa on a diamond mining project, to Saudi Arabia with a leading local construction group and to Scotland, where he designed the foundations for the Crystal Rig II Wind Farm outside Edinburgh.

James achieved chartered status at 26— one of the youngest Chartered Civil Engineers in the country at the time.
James holds a BEng from University College London, graduating in 2004, became a Chartered Engineer in 2009, and completed his MBA from London Business School in 2013, where he was awarded two scholarships: the prestigious Sainsbury Management Fellowship (from Lord Sainsbury) and the Tony Gage Scholarship from the Chartered Institute of Buildings (CIOB).
James is married with three children and lives in Hove, Sussex. Away from ZAKE, James is a keen sportsman, and when he’s not busy following his beloved Brighton and Hove Albion, you will likely find him partaking in events such as the Hyrox fitness competition.

Jon Bennett

Partner

Jon’s journey into property development is rooted in a unique blend of service, discipline, and vision. Before entering the real estate industry, Jon served as a decorated police officer, where he was commended for bravery and life-saving actions in high-pressure situations. This formative experience instilled in him a deep sense of responsibility, leadership, and resilience—qualities that continue to shape his approach to business.

In 2017, Jon founded Webuild, a construction company. Fueled by a passion for property, he soon expanded into independent development, successfully acquiring sites unconditionally, unlocking value through planning uplift, and delivering impactful residential projects.

His success has enabled him to attract private funding and scale into larger, more ambitious schemes. With public service values, and visionary thinking, Jon continues to drive ZAKE forward—building not just properties, but trust and communities.

Our founders’ combined experience and expertise have been instrumental in shaping Zake into what it is today. Their backgrounds span across all areas of the property development and construction industry in the UK and beyond, and their shared values and approach to business continue to underpin everything we do.

Jon Bennett

Partner

James Harding

Partner

ZAKE has a loyal and highly experienced team, many of whom have been with the business since it was formed.

The in-house construction business, Webuild, was established in 2017, and the team is exclusively engaged in the construction and delivery of ZAKE projects. For more information about Webuild, please click here.

All of our team members are highly valued and we invest in their training and development, so there are clear progression opportunities through the business. At ZAKE we foster an environment where everyone is working towards the same goal. If you are interested in applying to work for ZAKE, please complete the CONTACT US form on this website.