Team

Mr. Zief founded ELYA Holdings in 2016 and is overseeing all aspects of ELYA’s activities including new investments and asset management.  Prior to forming ELYA, Mr. Zief spent more than 15 years in the private equity industry.  Mr. Zief was a principal with American Capital, Ltd. (acquired by Ares), a private equity firm with more than $20 billion of assets under management.  At American Capital, Mr. Zief has executed a variety of control buyouts, debt and equity investments, divestitures and restructuring transactions representing in excess of $1 billion of capital. Mr. Zief also served on the board of directors of multiple portfolio companies.

Prior to joining American Capital, Mr. Zief was a member of the investment team of Equity Group Investments, LLC, a Chicago-based private investment firm led by Samuel Zell, focusing on distressed and opportunistic private equity investments. 

Mr. Zief earned an MBA degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and holds an L.L.B. in Law, magna cum laude, and a B.A. in Business Administration (Finance) from the Reichman University in Israel.