Ashton Advisors is the practice of Brandon Ashton Stein — an independent principal advisor to tech-enabled businesses on strategy, operations, and customer. Engagements are direct, client-aligned, and sized to the work.
Leads strategy through execution.
Twenty years inside the operating decisions that actually moved the number — strategy, customer, technology, GTM.
Brandon is a fractional executive and senior advisor for founders, CEOs, and operating teams across energy, software, finance, and professional services — with a deep M&A overlay. He shows up where a business is scaling, integrating, transforming, or making a high-stakes technology bet.
Before launching Ashton Advisors, Brandon was Director of Digital & Customer Transformation at MRE Consulting, with senior leadership and consulting roles at Salesforce, Acrisure, Slalom, Deloitte, and Molecule — leading enterprise transformation, customer success, and GTM programs across Fortune 500 and middle-market portfolios.
Single-principal by design: clients get the partner they hired, on the work they hired the partner for. Referral-based, performance-oriented, and structured to leave a stronger team behind than the one he was asked to help.
The team got you here.
Direct conversations. A clear-eyed read of what's working, stuck, and what the decision actually is.
The right question outranks the right answer.
The two or three decisions that drive the outcome — pressure-tested with the operators who execute.
What's unsaid in the room is often the reason I'm in it.
One recommendation. Operating model. ROI logic. I stay through the first 90 days, where most strategies privately fail.
Engagements are run on your behalf — not a vendor's, partner's, or anyone else's. Strategic insight, sound execution, commercial independence.
Strategy, operations & customer advisory for tech-enabled businesses. Single-principal practice — referral-led, client-aligned, performance-oriented. Sprint, engagement, and fractional formats across energy, software, finance, PE, and professional services.
Leader in the firm's Salesforce and digital advisory practice — go-to-market, vendor selection, strategic assessments, and digital roadmap planning across Fortune 2000 clients. Liaison to the Salesforce ecosystem for new logo, expansion, and ROI engagements.
Reported to the President/CEO of ATG at the fastest-growing insurance broker in history. Connected product strategy, software ops, and broker needs so the AI platform drove agency-partner growth.
Led a strategic mid-market customer portfolio across Texas — $23M+ ACV under management. C-level advisor on aligning business strategy, operations and technology ROI across Sales, Service and Marketing Cloud. Rated top leader within Salesforce CSG (8.5/9-box) in FY19.
SR. ADVISOR→PORTFOLIO DIRECTOR
Owned the venture's commercial business — strategy, marketing, partner relationships, business development, and Series A fundraising support. Quarterly sales targets across energy hedge funds, private equity, trading desks, and market-data providers.
Founding member of Slalom's Houston market launch. Built the customer strategy & analytics practice from scratch — talent, marketing, business development. Closed first two engagements totaling $4.8M+ in services revenue within four months. Recognized as a top-18 leader nationally during launch year.
Joined Deloitte's Human Capital practice out of Northwestern — sales process redesign, exec comp analytics for F500 boards, incentive plan design for a leading PC manufacturer, lead practitioner for undergrad campus recruiting. Returned post-MBA to the Houston SFE practice as Manager — Salesforce-anchored CRM transformations for Fortune 100s. Top rating every Analyst/Consultant year; top-ranked Manager FY13 and FY14.
ANALYST→ CONSULTANT→ SR. CONSULTANT→ MANAGER
Concentration in Finance, Marketing & Entrepreneurship. McCombs Admissions Committee (1 of 41 selected). VP, External Affairs — McCombs Graduate Business Council. Principal, Texas Venture Labs.
Minor in Business Institutions. GPA 3.7. Weinberg College Dean's List, Winter 2004 — Spring 2006. Greek Emerging Leaders; Campus Tour Guide & Peer Advisor.
Clients hire a person, not a brand. So a few things worth knowing about me.
Houston-based with my wife and daughter. There's a deck of cards within reach as I write this.
Husband and girl-dad.
Cards & close-up. Self-taught. Mostly humbling.
Lifelong Broadway fan. Will fly for a good revival.
The trip is half the work, half the meal.
Always taking recommendations.
Initial conversations are confidential, complimentary, and short. I'll tell you within thirty minutes whether to engage — and who I'd refer you to if I'm not the right fit.