National Advisory Council

Keith Ashton

Keith Ashton

Membership Information:

Member Since: 2026

Spouse:

Heidi Ashton

Contact Information:

Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithashtonjr/

Employment:

Job Title: Partner, Portfolio Manager, Co-Head of Alternative Credit
Company: Ares Management

Expertise:

  • investments
  • private credit
  • alternative credit
  • asset-based finance
  • capital raising and portfolio management
  • business leadership
  • philanthropy

Biography:

Keith Ashton is a Salt Lake City native and BYU graduate in economics. He and his wife, Heidi, have been married since 1995. They have two children, Connor and Chloe (who are both married and living in Provo and Chicago, respectively), and their first grandchild. Keith served a full-time proselyting mission in Quebec (1986), and has served in a variety of ward and stake callings over the past forty years. Following their relocation from Connecticut to Salt Lake City in January 2026, he was called to serve in the bishopric of a downtown Salt Lake City ward.

Professionally, Keith is a senior partner, portfolio manager, and co-head of Alternative Credit, a $60 billion private credit strategy at Ares Management in New York City. He is a lead portfolio manager for the Ares Pathfinder funds, Ares' flagship asset-based finance strategies. A distinctive feature of the Pathfinder funds is their charitable component: 10% of the carried interest is donated to health and education charities, projected to generate over $300 million of charitable donations over the coming 5-10 years. Keith also authors "In the Gaps," an alternative credit market newsletter that today reaches nearly 100,000 readers worldwide. Keith began his career at TIAA-CREF before founding his own firm, Indicus Advisors in 2007. The success of Indicus through the financial crisis led to Ares acquiring the firm in 2011.

Keith’s personal hobbies and passions include his family, travel, philanthropy, aviation, Utah sports (Jazz and Mammoth), and music. Keith enjoys combining and integrating these hobbies where possible. For example, he volunteers with Angel Flight West, providing air transportation to patients to and from life-saving medical care.