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, flexible and sized to the work with a focus on outcomes.
Founder & Principal
Twenty years inside the operating decisions that actually moved the number: strategy, customer, technology, GTM.
Brandon is a fractional executive and senior advisor to operating teams across energy, software, finance, and professional services. M&A is the overlay. He shows up when a business is scaling, integrating, 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. The partner you hire is the partner on the work. Referral-based, performance-oriented, and structured to leave a stronger team behind than the one he was asked to help.
Listening first. The people doing the work usually know things I don't.
Asking the second question. And the third.
Saying the thing no one else will. Plainly.
Engagements are run on your behalf. Not a vendor's, partner's, or anyone else's. Strategic insight, sound execution, commercial independence.
Human Capital + Salesforce SFE. Fortune 100 CRM transformations. Analyst to Manager. Top-rated FY13 & FY14.
Founding member of Houston market launch. Built customer strategy from scratch. $4.8M+ in first four months.
Series A energy & commodity trading software. Owned commercial: strategy, marketing, partnerships, BD, Series A support.
Portfolio Director, Customer Success. $23M+ ACV Texas mid-market. Rated top leader within Salesforce CSG, 8.5/9-box in FY19.
Reported to ATG President/CEO. Fastest-growing insurance broker in history. Product + agency partners.
Led Salesforce & digital advisory practice. GTM, vendor selection, roadmaps. Fortune 2000 clients.
You are hereIndependent principal. Sprint, Engagement, and Fractional formats across energy, software, finance, PE, and professional services.
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, girl-dad. Wife outranks me, by every metric.
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.