Beau Ashton
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
AIA Corporation
Three years ago, while working for a multi-channel merchandising company, he saw a video about distributor AIA Corporation describing it as a great place to work. “I was so impressed with the video and the employees’ attitudes that I knew I had to apply for the position as controller,” says the 35-year-old Wisconsin native, who had previously worked for a defense contractor.
He says his coworkers are his favorite part of the job. “Everyone at AIA is truly supportive of each other and it is one big family.”
Even within families, leaders rise to the top, and that was the case with Ashton, who caught the attention of IT Director Paul Weller, who nominated him as a Rising Star. “During Beau’s quick three-year tenure with AIA, he has accomplished many great things with his strong and effective leadership over our accounting team. With his personal support, we as a team accomplished an accounting software package upgrade in 2015 that was eight years overdue. He also stepped up and delivered exceptional service and accounting leadership when our CFO left the company last year.
“I consider Beau a rising star in the promotional products industry because he is making a difference at AIA and in our industry by challenging the way we look at and engage with finance, sales and the entire business supply chain,” Weller says. “He is a key part of our leadership team, and he is constantly pushing us to go further than we have before on projects and goals.”
Weller adds that Ashton continues to build new and strong business partnerships with all of AIA’s distributor partners and its top industry suppliers. “He is very involved in a number of strategic projects that are internal and external to our business and that are aimed to help AIA grow sales and become a better solutions provider,” he says, citing examples that include streamlined web store payments, ecommerce platform solutions, UPS freight billing and auditing solutions, and an improved supplier payment process with top suppliers.
Weller also calls Ashton an exceptional listener as well as a leader. “With his previous work experiences he is able to share and apply sound advice and positive feedback on a multitude of topics,” he says. “I really appreciate that Beau takes a personal ownership in his work and he has done a lot to learn more about our industry, our distributors and working with our top suppliers.”
For Ashton, the most important lesson he’s learned in business is to ask questions and keep asking them. “One of the tools in Six Sigma Certification is the five why’s, which focus on finding the root cause of a problem. I have never found a solution to a problem that could be solved with only the first question.”
With all of his AIA responsibilities and a new baby on the way as this issue went to press, Ashton finds an easy way to relax and recharge. “I enjoy playing with my three-year-old son,” he says. “It’s amazing how easy it is to forget about work when you are digging in the sandbox.”
HIS INSPIRATION
“I like to be proud of the work I’m responsible for. If my name is associated with a deliverable, I want to feel a sense of pride that I was a part of that.”
THE INDUSTRY IN FIVE YEARS
“I see the industry becoming more integrated between suppliers, distributors and customers. This is going to happen through the growth of ecommerce and how customers purchase products, as well as the continued systems integrations between distributors and suppliers.”
ON HIS TO-DO LIST NOW
Personally, he’s preparing for the arrival of the couple’s second child. Professionally, he’s about to start the 2017 budget process.
