Profile
Nellie Ashton
Founder & Principal
Two decades in public accounting and advisory, most of them spent quietly cleaning up after other people's shortcuts. The firm exists because the next twenty years should be different.
Two decades in public accounting and advisory, most of them spent quietly cleaning up after other people's shortcuts. The firm exists because the next twenty years should be different.
Nellie spent the first half of her career in public accounting, advancing through senior, manager, and director roles at regional firms — running engagements across closely-held businesses, family-office structures, and middle-market companies in services, manufacturing, and real estate.
Over those years, the same pattern kept showing up: owner-operators were getting compliance, but not counsel. They were getting hours billed, but not strategy. They were paying senior-firm rates and getting junior-staff attention.
Ashton Bowers is the response. A boutique practice, small by design, where the partner doing the work is the partner you hired. No layered teams, no resold software bundles, no third-party referral kickbacks. Just direct accounting and advisory counsel, scoped to fit how real businesses actually operate.
Founded the firm to deliver senior-level accounting and advisory counsel directly to owner-led businesses. Practice areas span tax strategy, monthly close, fractional CFO, audit prep, M&A support, and strategic advisory.
Led a practice group serving closely-held businesses and family-office clients. Managed engagement scopes from tax compliance through quality-of-earnings on mid-market transactions. Mentored junior staff and built the firm's M&A advisory bench.
Managed audit and tax engagements across services, manufacturing, and real estate verticals. Specialized in multi-entity tax planning, partnership taxation, and complex K-1 reporting structures.
Built foundational practice across audit, review, and tax. Earned CPA license. Developed early specialization in closely-held businesses and pass-through entity structures.
Speaking at a recent industry session on owner-operator tax strategy and succession planning.
"The work is mostly listening. The numbers tell you what happened. The owners tell you what they were trying to do. The job is figuring out where those two stop matching, and saying so out loud."— Nellie Ashton
First calls are thirty minutes, no scope, no pitch. Tell her what you're working on — she'll tell you whether it's a fit.
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