Dear Clients and Friends:
It is with great sadness we share with you that our co-founder Martin Jaffe passed away on Tuesday August 20th. The firm has lost a great partner, friend, client and champion. Marty and Moffett Cochran dared to establish Silvercrest in 2002, in the wake of the tech bubble collapse, 9/11, mega-merger disruptions, and weak markets. In addition to providing keen business insights, Marty built Silvercrest’s operations, compliance, financial and myriad other functions, without which, Silvercrest would not be a firm.
Marty spent his career dedicated to private clients and the fine institutions that served them. Marty started his career at U.S. Trust Company. His DLJ experience started in 1981 with Wood, Struthers & Winthrop, the investment management subsidiary of DLJ, where he served as COO. Marty’s technical expertise, wisdom and leadership ultimately catapulted him to becoming Chief Operating Officer of DLJ Asset Management and then Chief Financial Officer of Credit Suisse Asset Management, prior to his co-founding Silvercrest as its COO.
Marty was a tireless advocate for financial literacy and planning, and he was at the forefront of elevating our industry’s professional standards. Marty served as chairman of the Foundation for Financial Planning and as the national chairman of the IAFP, now known as the Financial Planning Association. Marty also was the proud chairman of NYC College of Technology Foundation, which supports the City College of Technology, where he received his degree in accounting. His approach and high expectations for Silvercrest employees to continually learn as professional fiduciaries on behalf of clients remains an important part of the firm’s DNA.
Marty had an extraordinarily quiet and refined wit that we all enjoyed. He was a deeply perceptive and wise counselor. Marty had a strong work ethic and he had a fine eye for detail. Best of all, Marty loved seeing people succeed and served as a mentor to so many of us over decades. He was rightly proud of what he built at Silvercrest.
Most important to Marty was his family. Our hearts go out to his wife, Sharon, their children Blair, Jillian and Laurie, and grandchildren. We join them in mourning Marty’s loss. Silvercrest has tremendous gratitude for Marty. His legacy lives through all of us and the excellence we demand of each other on behalf of our clients. The firm will recognize Marty and keep his spirit alive through our work. Marty would have it no other way.
Donations in Marty Jaffe’s memory may be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
www.michaeljfox.org/donate
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