The Safari Executive Interviews. Oxygen's Ashley Fina: From Capital to Culture - How Manager Development Drives Growth

Capital can catalyze growth, but culture sustains it. In this interview, Traub Capital Partners Co-Founder and Managing Partner Mortimer Singer speaks with Ashley Fina, Co-CEO of Oxygen, about why manager development programs are critical for scaling businesses by nurturing and deploying a clear culture.

Overview

At Traub Capital Partners, we believe the strongest consumer companies invest in human capital. Managers, often the overlooked layer of leadership, play a defining role in culture, execution, and long-term success, but often receive suboptimal training resources.

To explore this topic, we sat down with Ashley Fina, Co-CEO of Oxygen. the top-rated management training solution that equips high performers with the skills, tools, and support they need to become high-impact managers. In this conversation, Ashley Fina shares why “sink or swim management” costs companies dearly; what qualities define great managers today; and why investing in manager development delivers one of the highest returns for growth-focused businesses.

Q&A with Ashley Fina

Q: You have led organizations as both a CEO and now as the Co-CEO of Oxygen. What first convinced you that manager development was the missing link in so many companies?

Ashley: Early in my career I saw the cost of poor management up close. High performers would get promoted into management without training, and too often it became a “sink or swim” situation. The result was burnout, turnover, and disengagement. That experience shaped my conviction that managers need structured support. At Oxygen, we design manager development programs that are practical, people-centered, and deliver measurable ROI.

Q: Investors often think about capital and strategy. Why should they put equal focus on human capital?
Ashley: Because people execute the strategy. You can have a brilliant growth plan, but without skilled managers it will fall apart. Managers connect vision to execution. When they are supported, teams thrive, culture strengthens, and performance accelerates. When they are not, the costs are enormous. Human capital is not an add-on, it is core to business success.

Q: We talk a great deal about middle management being overlooked. What have you seen as the ROI when companies invest in this group?
Ashley: It is one of the highest return investments a company can make. Managers shape daily work, influence engagement, and retain talent. When companies develop managers, they see fewer costly mistakes, higher productivity, and stronger morale. That translates into measurable outcomes for growth and profitability.

Q: What qualities do you think define great managers today?
Ashley: Adaptability, empathy, and clarity. Managers must adapt quickly as business conditions and consumer expectations shift. They must lead with empathy to build trust with their teams. And they must provide clarity so people know not just what they are doing, but why it matters. Those three qualities together create resilience and performance.

Q: You have worked with hundreds of managers across industries. What leadership lesson stands out most?
Ashley: The biggest lesson is that leadership does not happen by accident. Companies that invest intentionally in manager development see real change. Clarity of vision, consistent feedback frameworks, and clear roles are not just nice to have, they are essential. Culture and execution are built in the middle, and strong managers are the ones who make that possible.

Key Takeaways

• Financial capital fuels opportunity, but human capital drives execution.
• Manager development programs are essential for scaling high-growth companies.
• Middle management delivers some of the highest ROI when properly supported.
• Great managers demonstrate adaptability, empathy, and clarity.
• Companies that avoid “sink or swim management” build healthier cultures and sustainable growth.

From Capital to Culture: The Takeaway

Capital alone does not create growth. Culture, built and deployed through strong managers, is what enables companies to thrive. As Ashley emphasizes, investing in human capital is not separate from investing in the business, it is the strategy itself. For leaders, the message is clear: when you develop managers, you drive performance, protect culture, and unlock sustainable growth.