Key Takeaways
- • Ancient Capital, the wholly owned asset management subsidiary of Ancient Financial, appointed Imran Ahmed as Chief Investment Officer and Sonya Li as Managing Director, its most senior investment hires to date.
- • Ahmed will oversee investments and portfolio construction across the asset management business, including management and allocation of the platform's insurance balance sheet assets.
- • Li will focus on direct investments, including strategic investments and platform partnerships intended to support the firm's growth.
- • Both executives report to Erich Schram, CEO of Ancient Financial and Ancient Capital, as the firm builds an institutional-scale investment platform from the ground up.
- • The appointments follow several senior hires made since Ancient Financial formally launched in March 2026.
Summary
Ancient Capital has named Imran Ahmed as Chief Investment Officer and Sonya Li as Managing Director, according to the firm's announcement. Both executives will report to Erich Schram, Chief Executive Officer of Ancient Financial and Ancient Capital. The company described Ahmed and Li as its most senior investment hires to date, and said they will lead the expansion of the firm's investment team.
Ahmed joins from Silver Rock Capital Partners, where he was responsible for portfolio construction, risk management, and sourcing and underwriting investments across corporate, structured, and asset-backed credit. Earlier, he served as a Managing Director at Blackstone, where he worked with the Strategic Opportunities Fund. In his new role he will oversee investments and portfolio construction across the asset management business, as well as the management and allocation of the platform's insurance balance sheet assets.
Li joins from Blue Owl Capital, where she was a Managing Director within the Office of the Co-CEOs. There she led strategic acquisitions, including the firm's purchases of IPI Partners, Atalaya Capital Management, and Prima Capital Advisors. The company said she brings nearly two decades of experience across alternative credit, strategic transactions, and platform growth. At Ancient Capital she will focus on direct investments, including strategic investments and platform partnerships intended to support growth.
The appointments follow several senior hires made since Ancient Financial formally launched in March 2026. Those additions include Shannon O'Grady as Head of Capital Formation, Derrick Chin as Head of Operations, Steve Ruggeri as Head of Finance, and Peter Celebucki as Vice President. Ancient Capital said the broader team is being assembled to build an institutional-scale investment platform from the ground up.
Ancient Financial focuses on life and annuity reinsurance and asset management, combining insurance earnings with fee-based investment management. Ancient Capital is responsible for investments across the company's insurance and third-party capital strategies. Schram previously served as Head of Blackstone's Insurance Portfolios within Blackstone Credit and as Chief Investment Officer of Guggenheim Life and Annuity Company.
In a statement, Schram said Ancient Capital offers "a rare opportunity to build an investment platform without legacy constraints, with the discipline of an institutional balance sheet behind it." Alexander Klabin, Chairman of Ancient Financial, said Ahmed and Li's "track records speak for themselves."
Ahmed joins from Silver Rock Capital Partners, where he was responsible for portfolio construction, risk management, and sourcing and underwriting investments across corporate, structured, and asset-backed credit. Earlier, he served as a Managing Director at Blackstone, where he worked with the Strategic Opportunities Fund. In his new role he will oversee investments and portfolio construction across the asset management business, as well as the management and allocation of the platform's insurance balance sheet assets.
Li joins from Blue Owl Capital, where she was a Managing Director within the Office of the Co-CEOs. There she led strategic acquisitions, including the firm's purchases of IPI Partners, Atalaya Capital Management, and Prima Capital Advisors. The company said she brings nearly two decades of experience across alternative credit, strategic transactions, and platform growth. At Ancient Capital she will focus on direct investments, including strategic investments and platform partnerships intended to support growth.
The appointments follow several senior hires made since Ancient Financial formally launched in March 2026. Those additions include Shannon O'Grady as Head of Capital Formation, Derrick Chin as Head of Operations, Steve Ruggeri as Head of Finance, and Peter Celebucki as Vice President. Ancient Capital said the broader team is being assembled to build an institutional-scale investment platform from the ground up.
Ancient Financial focuses on life and annuity reinsurance and asset management, combining insurance earnings with fee-based investment management. Ancient Capital is responsible for investments across the company's insurance and third-party capital strategies. Schram previously served as Head of Blackstone's Insurance Portfolios within Blackstone Credit and as Chief Investment Officer of Guggenheim Life and Annuity Company.
In a statement, Schram said Ancient Capital offers "a rare opportunity to build an investment platform without legacy constraints, with the discipline of an institutional balance sheet behind it." Alexander Klabin, Chairman of Ancient Financial, said Ahmed and Li's "track records speak for themselves."
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