Ash MerchantAsh Merchant has served various organizations as a trusted advisor, executive, and brand ambassador across the fields of human capital, risk management, and business consulting. He currently serves as Founder and President of Lionheart Partners
Lionheart Partners started in 2018 with a clear vision to help organizations accomplish their most critical growth goals through their leaders, teams, and customers through Business Advisory, Leadership Development, and Executive Coaching services.
Clients find Ash’s style to be relatable, practical, and genuine. He offers a unique perspective of domestic and global business acumen developed over 25 years of sales, operations, and executive experience. Ash specializes in developing enduring relationships through insightful discovery and counsel on his clients’ most pressing business issues. Throughout his career, he has worked with both large and mid-sized organizations in addition to his experience consulting with four founder-led startups.
Ash started his career with Randstad NV serving in sales, leadership, and corporate roles in the North American region. Ash learned the value of a strong organizational culture, sales excellence, and people development during his ten-year career with the organization. He also gained early career experience in mergers and acquisitions through his work on three significant integrations during his time at the firm. His work in the US contributed to further expansion and foundation building for Randstad to eventually become the largest staffing company in the world.
Ash then gained significant experience in the arenas of human capital, HR outsourcing, and risk management during his twelve-year career with Aon, plc. For four years, he helped in build the US Commercial function under the Aon Consulting brand as a sales executive and leader. He was then deeply involved in the client and colleague integration activities from the acquisition of Hewitt Associates, the largest professional services acquisition in history at that time. He finished his Aon career working as a senior executive within the commercial risk business unit driving new sales and expansion for the risk and health business for the East US Region.
Throughout his career, Ash has worked with leading organizations during times of rapid expansion, business downturns, and uncertain economic events. He is adept at leading clients through change, in tumultuous times, and in preparation for significant business transactions. Following his sabbatical experience, he now shares his story of risk-taking, personal discovery, learning agility, and faith to help and inspire audiences to stretch outside of their personal comfort zones.
A graduate of the University of Georgia- Terry College of Business, Ash also earned his Master’s of Business Administration degree from the Goizueta School of Business at Emory University.