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Team Category: Managing Directors

Ashleigh is a leader in Chartwell’s consulting practice, where she advises privately held companies with a special focus on ESOP-owned businesses. Ashleigh brings significant experience in executive incentive design, ESOP repurchase obligation planning, and financial modeling and analysis. She enjoys helping a diverse range of clients develop successful compensation and ownership strategies tailored to their unique philosophies and objectives.

In addition to financial advisory, Ashleigh is passionate about fostering an inclusive culture and promoting equity in our surrounding communities. She leads Chartwell’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Professional Involvement

Ashleigh is an active member of The ESOP Association, where she currently serves on the Administration Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO).

Ashleigh speaks regularly at national and regional conferences on topics related to executive compensation and ESOP planning.

Professional Experience

Prior to Chartwell, Ashleigh was a Director and Software Practice Manager for ESOP Economics.

Ben leads Chartwell’s business development activities in the Southwest region. He has spent over 12 years engaging with privately-owned companies and their owners, specializing in the financial services area. Ben is responsible for the execution of business development for all practices of the firm, including brand development, professional partner relationship management, and prospect pipeline maintenance.

Professional Experience

Prior to Chartwell, Ben was Director of Business Development at Juniper Capital Management, where he established the business development function. In addition, he held roles at Transwestern, where he was a recipient of the Rising Star Award, and Texas Exchange Bank. Ben began his career at Jones Lang LaSalle in the industrial services group.

Education

Ben holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in real estate finance from the University of Mississippi. He has also completed the Executive Education Mergers & Acquisitions course at Southern Methodist University (SMU) Cox School of Business.

Ryan is an investment banker in Chartwell’s corporate finance practice. He focuses on capital markets transactions including the placement of asset-based revolvers, senior secured cash flow loans, split lien term loans, unitranche structures, second lien, mezzanine, and equity investments for both sponsored and non-sponsored clients. Over his career, Ryan has worked on transactions in support of both growth and value-oriented investment strategies in a wide array of industries with deals closed in the business services, industrial, distribution, healthcare, and technology sectors.

Professional Involvement & Certification

Ryan is a member of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), where he currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Chicago chapter and is co-chair of the Programming & Content vertical for the entire chapter. He is also a member of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO).

Ryan is designated as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is a registered representative with Chartwell affiliate CCS Transactions, LLC and holds FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses.

Professional Experience

Prior to joining Chartwell, Ryan was a Managing Director at LBC Credit Partners. He was responsible for sourcing, structuring, negotiating, documenting, and closing senior and junior debt investments for both sponsored and non-sponsored financings in support of LBOs, recapitalizations, refinances, and add-on acquisitions. Ryan also served as a rotational member of the firm’s Investment Committee.

Prior to LBC, Ryan was a Director at OFS Capital where he originated and executed new business opportunities with both sponsor and non-sponsored clients. At OFS, Ryan was also a portfolio manager responsible for overseeing a team of account officers and directly managing investments. 

Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

Matt leads Chartwell’s valuation practice. He has provided financial advisory services to privately-held companies for over 25 years for a wide variety of purposes. In addition to providing valuation services for corporate planning, financial reporting, gift and estate planning, and tax planning, Matt is an expert on valuation issues related to employee stock ownership plans and ESOP sustainability. He advises clients on a wide variety of corporate finance, valuation, tax, and fairness issues for ESOPs, mergers & acquisitions, divestitures, and general corporate related purposes. His valuation opinions have withstood scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor.

Professional Involvement & Certification

Matt is an active member of The ESOP Association, where he currently serves as a member of the Valuation Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). Matt has been a featured speaker at national conferences held by these organizations on employee ownership and valuation issues. He also frequently speaks to employee and professional groups, boards of directors, and ESOP trustees.

Matt is designated as an Accredited Senior Appraiser (ASA) in Business Valuation by the American Society of Appraisers. Matt is a registered representative with Chartwell affiliate CCS Transactions, LLC and holds FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses.

Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

Joe has provided valuation, corporate finance, and consulting services to privately-held companies since 2004. Much of his professional career has been dedicated to providing independent financial advisory services to boards of directors and ESOP trustees. Joe has worked on many M&A transactions, representing both buyers and sellers. He also has experience advising clients on ownership transition alternatives as well as helping mature ESOPs operate sustainably. 

Joe leads Chartwell’s architecture and engineering industry vertical, which has grown to serve more than 150 clients over the years. Decision makers seek out his expertise and experience advising employee-owned AE firms in financial matters. Joe is passionate about advancing the business of engineering and educating people about the value of employee ownership. 

Professional Involvement & Certification

Joe is a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), and The ESOP Association. He has presented a variety of valuation related topics at conferences across the country.

Joe is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Minnesota. He is a registered representative with Chartwell affiliate CCS Transactions, LLC and holds FINRA Series 63 and 79 licenses.

Check the background of this investment professional on FINRA’s BrokerCheck.

Sandra brings a deep passion for employee ownership to her work, developed over the course of a career dedicated to helping businesses thrive through thoughtful planning, strategic guidance, and meaningful ownership transitions. As a leader of the firm’s valuation and transaction opinions team, she provides financial analysis and valuations that assess corporate risk, industry trends, budgets, and cash flows. She supports companies through ESOP transactions and related accounting, working with management to evaluate post-transaction impacts and provide ongoing consulting for existing ESOPs.

Professional Involvement & Certification

Sandra is an active member of The ESOP Association and the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO). She has been a featured speaker at national conferences held by these organizations on synthetic equity/deferred compensation and valuation issues. Sandra also frequently speaks to employee and professional groups, boards of directors, and ESOP trustees.

Sandra is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the state of New Hampshire. She is a Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) as granted by the AICPA. She is also a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA) as granted by the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts (NACVA).

Professional Experience

Prior to Chartwell, Sandra was a Managing Director at Atlantic Management Company. She also spent 15 years in public accounting, where she worked with clients on matters including financial reporting, understanding and implementing changes in accounting guidance, assessing and strengthening internal controls, and succession planning.

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