Ashley Davis is a founding partner of the renowned Washington, DC, government affairs firm, West Front Strategies (WFS). She holds a Masters of International Business from McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University; a Masters of International Business from the ESADE Business School (Spain); and a Corporate International Masters Business-
A Degree from the FGV EBAPE School( Brazil). She also holds an undergraduate degree from Westminster College, where she is a Member of the Board of Trustees. Ashley represents Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries, with a focus on healthcare, energy, homeland security, education, international trade, and government contracts. This year, she was selected as one of the 500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy by the Washingtonian Magazine.
Ashley is also the Co-CEO of the Belizean Grove, a preeminent global network of influential women committed to building collaborative, trusted partnerships. As Co-CEO, she is responsible for curating unique and purposeful meetings and experiences around the globe aimed at bringing members together to foster a better understanding of the complex issues of our time, share expertise and bring forth solutions.
LIFE BEFORE WFS
Prior to founding West Front Strategies, Ashley was a managing principal at Blank Rome LLP where, under the guidance of great mentors she elevated the government relations department, and rose to learn a lot about business. Ashley worked under the first Director of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, and as the Deputy Director of Management and Administration in the White House. She worked on the Republican National Convention, Bush- Cheney 2000, and the Florida recount before joining the Bush-Cheney Transition Team.
Ashley is an expert speaker for the Office of U.S. Speaker Program at the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, sits on several non- profit and corporate Boards, including Turning Point Brands Inc., Vital Voices Global Partnership, the Women’s Democracy Network at the International Republican Institute, the Board of Trustees at Westminster College, Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra, and the National Museum of Women in the Arts and is a member of Women Corporate Directors.
RESULT DRIVEN FIRM
Ashley had several impactful mentors and bosses early in her career. They instilled in her a sense of leadership and purpose at a young age..
“Deciding to start our own firm was a leap of faith that I knew was the right next step for me on my professional journey,” she says. “I saw others branching out and starting their own businesses, knew that we had just as much talent, had the desire to lead and decided to go for it and co-founded West Front Strategies in 2015.”
Today, West Front Strategies (WFS) is a leading boutique, bipartisan consulting firm headquartered in Washington, D.C. WFS has clients throughout the United States and globally. They offer innovative, collaborative, and results driven services that bring a creative, out-of-the-box thinking approach to drive winning results for their clients. The WFS team leverages their decades of experience in Washington D.C., across Capitol Hill, in the executive branch, and globally to bring a unique seasoned understanding of how government works.
WFS consistently adapts and pivots to meet the changing needs of its clients.
Since their founding, they have grown in revenue and have further deepened client relationships.
“Working in politics, the challenge is always knowing how to deal with the political environment happening in Washington D.C.,” Ashley says. “Making sure we continue to adapt to the changing needs of our clients amidst what is happening in government is our number one priority.”
FUTURE GOALS FOR WFS
Despite a weak economy and all of the economic hardships caused by the COVID- 19 Pandemic, West Front Strategies has maintained year-over-year sales growth. This track record of producing success for clients has not gone unnoticed and WFS is proud to have been named one of the top- performing lobbying firms of 2020 and 2021 by Bloomberg Government. Every year, West Front Strategies expands, and Ashley anticipates that trend continuing in the future. including expanding the staff, allowing the company to continue to support their growing number of clients allowing the company to continue to support their growing number of clients.
PASSIONATE AND COOPERATIVE TEAM
“Our biggest strength is definitely our team. Each person has unique strengths, connections and insights that contribute to our success. Making sure the team is all on the same page emotionally and professionally is important to service our clients well. Also understanding the emotional place our clients are in is also very important to understand how to represent them the best way possible.” she says
Ashley expresses, “The leaders I admire most are those that are not afraid of hard work while remaining committed to the mission and vision of the company or initiative. I also admire when a leader takes time to empower their team and invest in those who they manage.
We adapt to the needs of our clients. Our job is to provide them advice and strategy, but we also understand that we must make sure we are representing the client in the best way possible.”
EMPOWERING THE WOMEN
“I consider myself a lifelong learner and always try to learn new things that I’m either passionate about or are related to my job. Every morning I read four newspapers, most of the time before the sun comes up. I always have a stack of books I’m reading for fun and for education and in my 40s I went back to school to get my International MBA from Georgetown.” she says
As a leader, Ashley’s personal objective is to work hard, produce good outcomes, and help other women who are coming up behind or around me. She believes it is critical to invest in the next generation of women leaders. It’s on us and our generation to support and bring up the next generation of women.
She says, “I firmly believe that women need to mentor, provide pipeline opportunities, and support other women. If someone reaches out to you for coffee or advice if you are in a position to help support them, you should say yes. The best thing we can do is help pave the path forward.
