Mark Ashton

Professional Background

• Mark has 35 years’ business experience based in the UK and US
• Senior roles in consultancy, technical sales and company leadership
• Coach, mentor and trusted advisor to leaders and management teams
• Creates game-changing and mission-critical solutions to the toughest business challenges faced by clients, individually and collectively
• Teaches and instills the empirical, research-proven purposes, values, attitudes and behaviors of the Top 1% most consistently profitable businesses
• MBA with Distinction from Warwick Business School in the UK, a degree in Engineering Sciences (2:1) from Cambridge University, completed ‘Achieving Outstanding Performance’ executive programme at INSEAD

M&A Skills & Expertise

• Mark has a comprehensive CEO-type skillset. He works easily at a broad strategic visioning level, yet quickly identifies business risks and grasps the critical detail which determines success. He consistently confronts brutal realities, is forthright but fair, and does not avoid tough decisions or giving difficult, honest advice to clients
• Skilled manager of stakeholders in complex, organizations. Builds trust rapidly and sustains it
• Wherever he is working Mark builds and consistently nurtures teams of high caliber individuals. His style is enabling and confidence-building
• Works easily at a broad strategic level, yet quickly identifies business risks and grasps critical detail which determines success. He consistently confronts brutal realities, is forthright but fair, never avoids tough decisions or giving difficult, honest advice
• Mark learns new concepts and methodologies rapidly and synthesizes them creatively to solve problems uniquely and sustainably for clients
• Mark is a diligent relationship builder and is often described by business associates as the most connected person they know

Project Highlights

• Agribusiness – troubleshooting post-merger integration challenges
• Building materials – pre-acquisition commercial due diligence on target companies in the UK and US
• Consumer goods – mentoring business leader to turn around personal and business performance after €250 million merger
• Software – turnaround of failing subsidiary leading to profitable trade sale
• Nuclear – design and implementation of effective site KPIs integrating financial and operational performance
• Defense – development of playbook for sustainable organizational transformation
• Aerospace – piloting and introduction of Lean continuous improvement culture, including coaching at all levels
• Automotive aftermarket – process mapping of business functions, specification and delivery of performance improvement opportunities