Strategic CFO hire follows recent sports leadership expansion, signaling ASTOUND's commitment to M&A, new ventures, and owned IP development across key markets

LAS VEGAS, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ASTOUND Group has appointed Heather Clayton as Chief Financial Officer, adding a battle-tested financial executive who spent six years scaling the Vegas Golden Knights through rapid organizational expansion, hotel acquisitions, and a Stanley Cup championship. Clayton joins as ASTOUND enters an ambitious phase of growth that includes mergers and acquisitions, new business ventures, and development of proprietary intellectual property.

The appointment follows ASTOUND's recently announced expansion of its sports and venue leadership, which brought Karim Wazani aboard as Head of Sports and elevated Brittany Castle to Senior Vice President, Client Partnerships. These moves reflect a deliberate, sequential investment in leadership across every dimension of the business. Where the sports announcement strengthened ASTOUND's ability to deliver for teams, leagues, and sponsors, Clayton's hire builds the financial infrastructure to support what comes next at company scale.

Heather Clayton Joins as Chief Financial Officer

Clayton spent six years with the Vegas Golden Knights, progressing from Controller to CFO. During that time, she guided the organization's accounting and finance department through a period of remarkable expansion, scaling from two entities to thirteen in just over two years. She oversaw the financial operations of all Knights-related venues and five partnering foundations, and played a key role in multiple hotel acquisitions as the organization grew well beyond the ice. She was part of the franchise's leadership through its historic 2023 Stanley Cup championship.

Before joining the Golden Knights in 2019, Clayton built her financial foundation in the Las Vegas casino industry, advancing from General Ledger Manager to Controller at American Casino and Entertainment Properties. Her career reflects a consistent pattern: scaling complex, multi-entity financial operations in demanding, high-stakes environments.

As CFO, Clayton will lead ASTOUND's financial operations and strategy as the company pursues organic growth, strategic acquisitions, new venture development, and expansion of its owned IP portfolio. Her deep roots in the Las Vegas market and hands-on experience scaling multi-entity organizations position her to help ASTOUND execute on a significantly larger stage.

"Building a company of real scale takes more than exceptional creative and operational capability. It requires the financial leadership to match," said Dale Morgan, CEO of ASTOUND Group. "Heather scaled a complex, multi-entity sports organization in this market and did it at the highest level. She knows how to build financial infrastructure that enables growth, not just tracks it. Her joining us is a clear signal of where ASTOUND is headed."

"ASTOUND is at an inflection point that does not come around often," said Heather Clayton, CFO of ASTOUND Group. "The creative capability, the fabrication infrastructure, the client roster, the sports momentum: everything is in place for something significant. The opportunity to help build the financial foundation for that growth, in a city I know and love, was one I could not pass up."

The hire also underscores ASTOUND's deepening commitment to the Las Vegas market, where the company has an established presence delivering experiential design, fabrication, and venue integration for some of the city's most prominent venues and events. As Las Vegas continues to emerge as a hub for sports, entertainment, and major brand activations, ASTOUND is positioning itself to be the partner of choice for organizations seeking end-to-end experiential solutions at venue scale.

About ASTOUND Group

ASTOUND Group is an experiential design studio with world-class fabrication and production capabilities, delivering end-to-end solutions by seamlessly integrating design, technology, and fabrication. ASTOUND creates full sensory environments and experiences that build lasting connections between brands and their audiences. From tradeshow exhibits and immersive brand activations to stadium experiences and retail pop-ups, ASTOUND serves major brands including Microsoft, Las Vegas Raiders, Nike, LVMH, and more. With locations in Las Vegas, Toronto, Burlington, and Milwaukee, ASTOUND confidently leads the way in experiential marketing innovation. Learn more at www.astoundgroup.com

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SOURCE ASTOUND Group