Our team consists of experienced entrepreneurs, leaders, marketers, managers, and advisors.
Personal Info
She also loves hiking, travel, coffee and red wine - and most of all, her husband, and three grown children.
Connect with Susan:
skavanaugh@fortashford.com
Susan Kavanaugh - Managing Director
Co-founder
Over the last 20 years Susan has been a key contributor at Fort Ashford where she provides project management and strategic direction for acquisitions in multi-family, retail and industrial real estate, technology, and defense. In addition to world class development and project management skills, she offers insight and leadership into cultural and operational issues of our portfolio investments and has served as senior management in several portfolio companies. Her greatest expertise is her knowledge and commitment to employees and customers. Her ability to communicate clearly and bring her extensive knowledge and experience in these areas has made her central to our success in real estate and restructuring projects.
Experience
Susan has worked in the technology industry for over 30 years. She started her career at IBM as a Systems Engineer and moved to Microsoft where she served as a Corporate Account Executive supporting key customers including Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Hughes, Rockwell and other leading Defense, Aerospace & Technology companies. Susan holds a Bachelors in Business Administration with a minor in Computer Science from Loyola Marymount University in L.A. having graduated in 1985.
Personal Info
Frank enjoys traveling, family, exploring new technologies, and working with interesting and aspirational business leaders.
Connect with Frank:
fkav@fortashford.com
Frank Kavanaugh - Managing Director
Co-founder/visionary
Frank is strong in investing experience and public microcap markets, deep in his commitment to educate and finance the next generation of corporate and global leaders. He has a proven track record of understanding the human aspects of performance within small enterprise and seeing businesses as holistic systems. At Fort Ashford, Frank’s role is building relationships with individuals and organizations that facilitate growth, transformation and innovation.
Experience
Frank has worked in executive positions and operational management roles at major corporations such as Microsoft and Hewlett Packard. He has also founded Inc 500 companies and is perhaps best known for growing Force Protection Inc. from less than $1 Million to over $1 Billion company in just six years. Frank holds a BS in Information and Computer Science from UCI and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Personal Info
Andrew is an avid surfer and fisherman and enjoys spending time with his wife Bridget and their two small children.
Connect with Andrew:
akrajacic@fortashford.com
Andrew Krajacic - Consultant
REal estate, development, construction
Andrew focuses on real estate strategy and acquisitions in multi-family, retail and commercial properties. Additionally, Andrew uses his extensive construction management experience and relationships to rapidly and cost effectively partner with property owners and portfolio companies to restructure and extract significant value through redevelopment of properties and restructuring of debt. Leveraging sophisticated, integrated and creative strategies needed to capitalize on opportunities and maximize value, Andrew has developed millions of square feet of property and guides development, construction and management of mixed-use complexes, industrial parks, medical, retail and industrial buildings on behalf of Fort Ashford.
Experience
Andrew started his career as a consultant for Arthur Anderson. In 2002 Andrew began investing in real estate and co-founded a value-add real estate company that focused on a wide range of opportunities including assets with inadequate capitalization, neglect and poor leasing strategies as well as commercial and residential property development and redevelopment. Andrew first brought his extensive residential and commercial construction and management expertise to Fort Ashford through the development of a 12,000sf mansion on 22 acres which sat uncompleted due to issues with the City for 20 years. In addition to obtaining the certificate of occupancy within 6 months of being retained on the project, Andrew developed a mutually beneficial structure that included the addition of a conservation area to be enjoyed by the entire community. Andrew has since overseen over two dozen successful property turnarounds for Fort Ashford. Andrew holds a bachelor’s in business economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Erin enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. Erin played college volleyball at Humboldt State University.
Connect with Erin:
eburke@fortashford.com
Erin Burke - Chief of Staff
Integrator
Erin is a strategic business manager playing an integral role in key business decisions. She provides the analytical framework to enable informed business decisions that identify trends early to capitalize on opportunities and manage risk. She builds out processes, systems, and procedures to efficiently produce accurate, timely, and succinct reporting and shares key financial and operating metrics across the portfolio. Erin plays a critical role in the evolution of the portfolio as Fort Ashford acquires and divests assets, while managing all deal pipelines.
Experience
Erin has worked in the legal services industry for over 15 years with an emphasis in Alternative Dispute Resolution. In her previous role as Associate Director of Case Administration, she developed and implemented case operating procedure, and authored case management best practices by utilizing a thorough understanding of existing corporate policies to identify and correct process gaps. Erin oversaw client relations, established strong connections with the company’s most valuable and voluminous accounts, and served as the primary point of escalation for client related issues. She proactively resolved issues, while identifying, developing, and executing a variety of high-profile projects designed to significantly improve client satisfaction, employee collaboration, cross-team communication, and business efficiency. She also partnered with the Executive Team to manage the project pipeline, helping to evaluate and prioritize company objectives and long-term goals.
Personal
Noel has a passion for food, design and helping those in her community. In her free time she enjoys working in her garden and planning new adventures with her husband, Allen.
Connect with Noel:
nmoton@fortashford.com.
Noel Moton – Lifestyle Manager
An entrepreneur and trained chef, Noel’s expertise is in the area of operations, training, product development and project and event management. With over 10-years’ experience working with high net worth families and businesses in Southern California, Noel joined Fort Ashford to help other entrepreneurs translate creative ideas and products into sustainable, profitable businesses as well as to support project and engagement efforts for Fort Ashford and some of its portfolio companies.
Experience
Noel started her career as a private chef in Orange County. Her experience working with prominent families and local businesses ignited her entrepreneurial spirit and led her to the imagining and successful launch of Orange County’s first and highest profile charcuterie board business. Simultaneously, Noel’s drive, creativity and project management skills, along with her commitment to doing good for her community, led her to assist companies expand and elevate to reach new markets, most recently working with Noosa Yogurt on a product line extension and C&H Sugar on a visibility campaign. Other former clients and collaboration partners include The Irvine Company, Net Jets, Eddie Vedder for Ohana Festival, CASA of Orange County, Goodwill of Orange County, The Historic Cottage at San Clemente State Beach, Smart Circle and Visit Napa Valley, among others.