George Ashton, co-founder of Sol Systems, serves on Sol Systems' Board of Advisors and Board of Directors. In his time with Sol Systems, Mr. Ashton oversaw corporate strategy, financial management, and client success for Sol Systems’ Development Business. Under his leadership, the company grew from an SREC aggregator in 2008 to a full-service solar energy finance, investment, and development firm serving some of the country’s largest corporations, institutions, and municipalities today.
Together with the CEO, Mr. Ashton built out expert teams, innovative financial models, and intensive project management systems that have delivered 650MW of solar projects across 13 states. The firm now manages over $650 million in solar energy assets, and was listed among Inc. 5000’s fastest growing private companies for a fourth consecutive year in 2016, increasing revenue by over 800% in just four years.
Prior to Sol Systems, Mr. Ashton spent more than a decade in the capital markets sector working with investments, securitization, trading, and financial analysis. At Fannie Mae, he managed more than $20 billion in asset purchases.
In 2016, Mr. Ashton was appointed to the Mid-Atlantic Board of GRID Alternatives, a nonprofit organization that provides job training and solar power to families in low and moderate income communities across Maryland, D.C. Virginia and Delaware. In 2012, he was appointed Treasurer of the Maryland Clean Energy Center by Governor O’Malley, and in 2014, he was named Chairman of the Board. Mr. Ashton was awarded Washington Business Journal‘s (WBJ) 2013 CFO of the Year Award, and was named one of WBJ’s 40 Under 40 in 2014.
His charitable activities include supporting the Washington Jesuit Academy, a middle school for promising disadvantaged male youths in Washington, DC, and the Community Ministries of Rockville.
Mr. Ashton has an MBA from the University of Maryland and a dual B.S. from the College of William and Mary.