Castlelake, an alternative investment firm with 16 years of tenure investing in, financing and managing aviation assets, appointed Ronan Kelleher managing director and CFO of aviation.

Based in the firm’s Dublin office, Kelleher’s responsibilities will include supporting investment execution and structuring, investment valuation and internal and external reporting for Castlelake’s aviation business, including Castlelake Aviation Limited. In this role, Kelleher will also oversee the firm’s dedicated aviation finance and treasury teams.

“Ronan has a distinguished and impressive background in aviation finance and we are thrilled to welcome him on board,” Brad Farrell, partner and COO of Castlelake, said. “I am confident his deep industry expertise and leadership experience will be an asset to our internal aviation team as well as a beneficial resource to our external stakeholders and investors, particularly those associated with Castlelake Aviation Limited.”

Kelleher’s appointment supports the momentum of Castlelake’s aviation investment strategy, which recently includes the close of the firm’s fourth aviation fund with $1.6 billion of capital commitments and the formation of Castlelake Aviation Limited, a dedicated lessor of commercial aircraft.

“I am honored to join such an esteemed firm within the aviation finance and aircraft investment space and have long admired Castlelake’s differentiated capabilities and history of financial innovation,” Kelleher said. “I look forward to working alongside the accomplished team and supporting Castlelake’s aviation business as it continues on its strategic growth journey.”

Before joining Castlelake, Kelleher was CFO of AMCK Aviation and was integral in its transaction activity, including the sale of a portfolio of 128 aircraft to Carlyle Aviation Partners. Before AMCK Aviation, Kelleher was CFO of Sky Aviation Leasing International, where he was part of the management team that built a portfolio of 51 aircraft later sold to Goshawk.