Leadership

Jude David, JD, DCL, MBA

Managing Partner

Jude made investment banking his primary focus after practicing for 12 years as a successful M&A attorney. From lower mid-market family-owned companies to multi-billion dollar corporate behemoths, Jude has advised sellers and buyers on over 200 transactions totaling billions in enterprise value.

Jude has leveraged his M&A experience to start a self-funded company in the building materials sector. Since its inception, the business has grown via acquisitions to over 400 employees across the USA.

Jude and his wife Ashley have six beautiful children and are very active in their community. Jude’s favorite pastime is taking the family to their fishing lodge on the beautiful Gulf Coast.

Chase Kenner, CFP®

Partner

Chase began his finance career in 2009 as an advisor for a major private wealth institution. His deep
understanding of economics and cyclicality led to his role as Chief Strategist and Director of Equity Research for a billion-dollar, private equity-backed asset management firm. This role allowed Chase to develop a useful skillset in assessing and projecting behavior across multiple sectors and economic cycles; a skillset that is critical at Final Ascent in executing an effective sales strategy for our clients.

Chase's research and valuation skills became key when his prior firm pursued growth through acquisitions, allowing him to lead buy-side M&A and integration efforts. In 2019, Chase joined forces with his business partner, Jude David to make dealmaking his fulltime profession. When he’s not working deals or advising business owners, Chase enjoys spending time at the family farm with his wife Megan and their two children.

E. Scott Shea

Partner

Scott has entrepreneurial grit running through his DNA. After graduating in business from Texas Christian University in 2005, he joined his family’s four-generation company. Scott’s exceptional leadership skills and
operational mindset were instrumental in driving his family’s legacy business to unprecedented performance,
eventually leading to a 9-figure exit. Scott experienced firsthand the day-to-day grind and mixed emotions a
family and enterprise go through during an acquisition.

In 2011, Scott’s love of numbers, relationships, and entrepreneurship organically led him to start his own
private wealth management practice, focusing on advising and consulting business owners. His entrepreneurial background and reputation as a champion advisor to his business owner clients created a perfect fit when he joined Final Ascent's deal team in 2022.

Scott and his wife, Amanda, reside in South Louisiana with their three sons. Scott is also our firm’s scratch golfer. When he needs to quiet his mind, he finds solace on the fairway.

Chelsea Craig

Client Support Manager

Chelsea Craig is the Client Support Manager at Final Ascent, handling initial intake and supporting clients and their advisors on the expedition to each business owner's unique exit. Beginning her career in the U.S. Army, Chelsea seamlessly transitioned into the realm of Sales and Support Management following her service in the Armed Forces. For more than a decade, Chelsea has diligently dedicated herself to supporting business owners, deeply comprehending the immense dedication and sacrifices necessary for cultivating success.

Chelsea embarked on her professional journey as a Psychological Operations Specialist in the esteemed United States Armed Forces. Following the start of her family, she gracefully transitioned back into civilian life, embracing challenging Sales and Support Management roles. Throughout her diverse career, Chelsea exhibited unparalleled excellence, garnering a plethora of accolades for her unwavering dedication to the companies she served and the exceptional support she provided to her esteemed clientele.

Over the past decade, Chelsea has thrived in management positions, consistently propelling productivity, efficiency, and revenue to new heights. However, it was during the past five years that Chelsea discovered a profound passion for assisting business owners on their path to successful exits. Having been intimately involved in supporting business owners firsthand, Chelsea bore witness to the resolute strength required to build, nurture, and ultimately transition away from a business.

Chelsea's educational background encompasses a dual focus on Psychological Operations and Business Management, lending her a unique perspective in her endeavors. When not immersed in her professional endeavors, Chelsea cherishes quality time with her three children in the serene setting of their hometown, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She also indulges in her love for reading, camping, and traveling the globe, avidly absorbing the rich tapestry of diverse cultures she encounters along the way.