Zack Ellison

Zack Ellison, CFA, CAIA is a founder and a Managing General Partner at A.R.I. Venture Capital, based in Los Angeles, California.  A.R.I. provides debt capital solutions to high growth start-ups backed by venture capital and led by world-class entrepreneurs.  A.R.I.’s customers benefit from the firm’s core focus on non-dilutive financing and hands-on strategic, operational, and networking support.  Mr. Ellison is responsible for the firm’s management and investment activities, including sourcing, due diligence, structuring and execution, and portfolio management.

Previously, Mr. Ellison was Director, U.S. Fixed Income at Sun Life Investment Management, one of the world’s largest asset managers.  At Sun Life, he was responsible for corporate credit trading and contributed to the firm’s credit strategy, investment processes, portfolio construction, and risk management practices.

Prior to joining Sun Life, Mr. Ellison worked in Deutsche Bank’s Global Credit Trading division, where he analyzed and traded crossover-rated corporate bonds, credit default swaps (“CDS”), hybrid securities, and preferred stock.  

Preceding Deutsche Bank, and during the global financial crisis, he was an investment banker and leveraged loan analyst covering the media and telecom sectors at Scotia Capital.

Mr. Ellison began his career in the financial services industry at Thomson Reuters in Corporate Advisory Services, where he served a majority of the Fortune 500 energy and utility companies. 

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Ellison earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College while majoring in Economics. He holds an MBA with concentrations in Analytic Finance and Economics from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business along with an MS in Risk Management from New York University’s Stern School of Business. Additionally, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designations, along with Series 7 and 63 security licenses.