Bloomfield Hills’ Aquila Equity Partners Hires Gray, Sanker, Promotes Weiland

Aquila Equity Partners in Bloomfield Hills, an entrepreneurial private investment firm focused on partnering with lower middle-market companies, has hired Ashley Gray as managing director and Christiana Sanker as operations and transaction coordinator. The firm also promoted Bobby Weiland to senior associate.

“We are very excited to announce the additions of Ashley and Christiana to the Aquila team, as well as the promotion of Bobby,” said Gary N. Lewis, Managing Partner of Aquila. “They are incredibly talented professionals, each bringing a unique set of experiences and valuable perspectives that align well with our team-oriented and entrepreneurial culture. This investment in our team is a direct reflection of the significant momentum we have as a firm and our optimism for the future. We look forward to the expertise and energy that Ashley, Christiana and Bobby bring to our team and are confident that they will significantly contribute to our continued success.”

Gray has more than 10 years of experience in investment banking, consulting, corporate finance and operations. Her experience serving lower and middle market companies spans a broad range of sectors, including technology, building products, industrial and field services, manufacturing, business services and healthcare.

Prior to joining Aquila, Gray served as Chief Financial Officer for ArtiFlex Manufacturing, a privately held, high-end automotive parts supplier, where she led the company’s acquisition efforts, developed and managed business analytics, and oversaw the company’s banking relationships and regulatory compliance.

An active member of ACG Detroit and ACG Western Michigan, Gray earned a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration degrees in Finance and Accounting with honors from Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University.

In her new role, Ashley will be involved in all areas of the firm’s operations, from sourcing, underwriting and deal execution to supporting our portfolio partners.

Sanker joins Aquila with a background in entrepreneurship, operations, project management, and process development and implementation. In the newly created role of Operations and Transactions Coordinator, Sanker supports due diligence and deal execution processes, and helps guide the smooth transitions and successful implementation of new acquisitions and partnerships. In addition, he will work with the leadership teams of both Aquila and our portfolio companies to accelerate their growth.

Previously, Sanker co-founded an e-commerce company, helped an entrepreneur pursue a new acquisition, and helped lead several key initiatives at Pixoul, a digital design and development company, where she worked directly with the company’s founder. Sanker earned a Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies from Grand Valley State with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Creativity.

Weiland has been promoted to senior associate. Leveraging his extensive experience leading financial analysis and due diligence processes, Wieland will continue to create value by leading and developing junior resources and taking on a larger role in the deal execution process. He will also continue to support the operating company’s management team on growth and value creation strategies, as well as the financial planning and analysis teams.

Prior to joining Aquila, Wieland began his career as a strategy analyst at La-Z-Boy Inc., where he worked on corporate acquisitions and supported the company’s growth and strategic initiatives. Prior to that, he was a consultant at Plante Moran in the Transaction Advisory Team, where he focused on earnings quality and financial due diligence for both buy-side and sell-side private equity clients.