Aston Asset Management said that its mutual fund assets under management exceeded $10 billion, as of the close of business on January 19. Aston surpassed the $10 billion mark shortly after celebrating its five-year anniversary. In 2011, Aston’s net sales ranked in the top 50 of all fund companies.
“We are pleased with what we have achieved in a relatively short period of time,” said Stuart Bilton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aston. “Our commitment to carefully selecting experienced investment managers with disciplined investment processes, and placing our clients’ interests first, has carried our shareholders and firm through the tough markets of the past five years. We anticipate that these core values will allow Aston to continue to prosper for many years to come.”
Aston was established in December 2006 with the goal of offering investors high quality institutional managers in a mutual fund format. The history of Aston’s management team extends back to 1993, when Bilton founded the Chicago Trust Funds and hired Kenneth Anderson, now the company’s president, as the firm’s first employee. Aston currently employs 37 people, advises 26 funds and partners with 18 subadvisers.
Aston's growth was fueled by its key strategy of forming partnerships with independent money managers. Aston nurtures these relationships by co-branding funds, working closely with the money managers to achieve strategic goals and distributing funds through extensive national networks of investment consultants, registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, model and retirement platforms, and wealth management teams.
“Aston could not have achieved $10 billion in assets under management without the hard work and strong commitment from every member of the Aston team, as well as the trust we have earned from our clients,” said Anderson. “While we are very pleased to have reached this milestone, we are not content to simply rest on our laurels. We will continue to diligently execute our strategy, working closely with our subadvisers to help our clients reach their investing goals.”
