About The Founder
"I'm living my dream when I'm helping business owners achieve their dreams"
Richard P. Ashton, CFS, RFC
Mr. Ashton has been an entrepreneur from a young age and spent over 23 years in the Investment Banking industry. He founded and operated his own Broker Dealer and Investment Advisory firm before starting his Private Equity consulting firm in 2013. He has worked with 100's of business owners during his career. Mr. Ashton is a performance-driven professional, and uniquely qualified sales process, business efficiency and profitability specialist with a proven ability to achieve or exceed all benchmarked goals. He's been a top sales producer and/or manager in every position held regardless of industry vertical, nationally recognized, and has a keen ability to structure profitable workflow and operational models. Mr. Ashton has a strong knowledge of process optimization, accounting, job costing and financial analysis, and has proven leadership and team-building skills as a managing executive. He has a long history of consulting with clients to analyze needs and provide intelligent solutions. He is known as a turnaround specialist that has improved profitability in over 100 business relationships, and has extensive contract negotiations experience, agreement structure and implementation knowledge.
Mr. Ashton successfully developed business models for several start-ups and designed and implemented operational systems for increased profitability and business valuations. Recently Launched: The Beauty Beast, Plasma Page USA, Campus Housing Solutions and Direct Mail Giant, but is currently divested from those engagements.
Education & Qualifications
- Economics Professor | Monmouth University
- Masters of Science Finance | Monmouth University
- Bachelor of Science Business | Rowan University
- Founder/Operating Principal | Registered Broker Dealer
- Founder/Operating Principal | Registered Investment Advisory Firm
- Certified Fund Specialist
- Registered Financial Consultant
- Former Securities Registered Representative
- Former Registered Securities Principal
- Former Registered Options Principal
- Former Registered Investment Advisor
- Computer Science Program | NCR Corporation
- Financial Accounting Systems | NCR Corporation
The Founder's History
Most Current to Earliest
Mr. Ashton filed with the SEC for firm approval as a Broker Dealer and later registered as an Investment Advisory Firm. He grew commissions from $500K to $3 million before merging with another Broker Dealer in 2007. He divested completely from Investment Banking duties in 2013 before venturing into Private Equity as a consultant and operational equity investor. He was granted exclusivity by FFP as an OSJ in New Jersey before filing as a Broker-Dealer. Mr. Ashton was a nationally recognized producer with Independent Broker Dealer First Financial Planners, LLC in his first year with the firm among 1000 independent producers. Was a nationally recognized District Manager in his first year as a District Manager with AXA Financial, was ranked #2 in the nation out of 486 districts, and built his district entirely organically. Mr. Ashton was also a Nationally recognized producer after 1 year with AXA Financial among 4000 agents.
He formed an electronic publishing and consulting business under both Apple and IBM. Later merged the firm with a large Manhattan based printing facility.
He designed and engineered a computer based distribution tracking system for a New Jersey distribution company, Lederle Labs and McNeil Pharmaceutical. He was 1 of 275 individuals selected from over 10,000 applicants by the NCR Corporation to participate in their Computer Sales, Accounting & Financial Analysis Program,
graduated #1 in the program overall, and was selected to be program speaker.