Key Takeaways
- • Ancient Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Ancient Financial, named Imran Ahmed as Chief Investment Officer and Sonya Li as Managing Director, per a corrected Business Wire release dated October 13, 2026.
- • Ahmed will oversee investments and portfolio construction, including management and allocation of the platform's insurance balance sheet assets; he joins from Silver Rock Capital Partners and was previously a Managing Director at Blackstone's Strategic Opportunities Fund.
- • Li will pursue direct investments focused on strategic investments and platform partnerships; she joins from Blue Owl Capital, where she led strategic acquisitions including IPI Partners, Atalaya Capital Management, and Prima Capital Advisors.
- • Both report to Erich Schram, CEO of Ancient Financial and Ancient Capital, and are the firm's most senior investment hires to date.
- • The hires follow a senior team build-out since Ancient Capital's March 2026 formal launch, positioning the platform to scale an institutional-caliber asset management business.
Summary
Ancient Capital, the asset management subsidiary of Ancient Financial, has announced the appointments of Imran Ahmed as Chief Investment Officer and Sonya Li as Managing Director to lead its investment function, according to a corrected Business Wire release. The correction replaces a release dated October 9, 2026, which the company said was revised multiple times. Both executives will report to Erich Schram, Chief Executive Officer of Ancient Financial and Ancient Capital.
As Chief Investment Officer, Ahmed will oversee investments and portfolio construction for the asset management business, including the management and allocation of the platform's insurance balance sheet assets. He joins from Silver Rock Capital Partners, where he contributed to portfolio construction and risk management and was responsible for sourcing and underwriting investments across corporate, structured, and asset-backed credit. He was previously a Managing Director at Blackstone, where he worked on the Strategic Opportunities Fund.
Li will pursue direct investments with a focus on strategic investments and platform partnerships. She joins from Blue Owl Capital, where she was a Managing Director in the Office of the Co-CEOs and led strategic acquisitions, including Blue Owl's purchases of IPI Partners, Atalaya Capital Management, and Prima Capital Advisors. The release says she has nearly two decades of experience in alternative credit, strategic transactions, and platform growth.
The appointments follow a series of senior hires since Ancient Capital's formal launch in March 2026, including 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. The company describes Ahmed and Li as its most senior investment hires to date.
Schram said the firm 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 the company was built to combine insurance and asset management with institutional rigor. Schram previously headed Blackstone's Insurance Portfolios within Blackstone Credit, was an original partner of Blackstone Insurance Solutions, and served as Chief Investment Officer of Guggenheim Life and Annuity Company.
Ancient Financial is a financial services company focused on life and annuity reinsurance and asset management. Ancient, founded by Klabin, describes itself as a long-term investor in specialty finance and specialized services.
As Chief Investment Officer, Ahmed will oversee investments and portfolio construction for the asset management business, including the management and allocation of the platform's insurance balance sheet assets. He joins from Silver Rock Capital Partners, where he contributed to portfolio construction and risk management and was responsible for sourcing and underwriting investments across corporate, structured, and asset-backed credit. He was previously a Managing Director at Blackstone, where he worked on the Strategic Opportunities Fund.
Li will pursue direct investments with a focus on strategic investments and platform partnerships. She joins from Blue Owl Capital, where she was a Managing Director in the Office of the Co-CEOs and led strategic acquisitions, including Blue Owl's purchases of IPI Partners, Atalaya Capital Management, and Prima Capital Advisors. The release says she has nearly two decades of experience in alternative credit, strategic transactions, and platform growth.
The appointments follow a series of senior hires since Ancient Capital's formal launch in March 2026, including 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. The company describes Ahmed and Li as its most senior investment hires to date.
Schram said the firm 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 the company was built to combine insurance and asset management with institutional rigor. Schram previously headed Blackstone's Insurance Portfolios within Blackstone Credit, was an original partner of Blackstone Insurance Solutions, and served as Chief Investment Officer of Guggenheim Life and Annuity Company.
Ancient Financial is a financial services company focused on life and annuity reinsurance and asset management. Ancient, founded by Klabin, describes itself as a long-term investor in specialty finance and specialized services.
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