Silvercrest Asset Management announced it has hired Seán O’Dowd as managing director and head of the firm’s newly-created initiative to provide corporate finance and advisory services to family-owned businesses.
According to Richard R. Hough III, chairman and chief executive officer, “There is a pressing need among family enterprises for impartial and unconflicted advisory services related to business succession, legacy planning, liquidity events, valuation analysis, and related services. Seán understands these issues may occur only once a generation and often are tied closely to family dynamics and legacy aspirations.”
Prior to joining Silvercrest, Mr. O’Dowd was senior vice president of Bessemer Trust’s advisory group for family companies. Previously, he was a member of Lehman Brothers’ Global Power Investment Banking Group, and before that provided corporate finance, valuation analysis and forensic accounting services at both Ernst & Young and KPMG.
Mr. O’Dowd noted, “This is an exciting opportunity to work with the talented team at Silvercrest to provide in-house corporate finance and related services to help family business owners navigate the complex and often sensitive issues associated with strategic initiatives, liquidity events and ensuring the family business legacy. Mr. O’Dowd earned a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia and an MBA from the Yale School of Management. He is a CFA Charterholder and a member of the New York Society of Security Analysts.
He also is a member of the board of directors for Saugatuck Nursery School in Westport, CT, where he serves as treasurer.
Silvercrest was founded in April 2002 as an independent, employee-owned registered investment adviser. With offices in New York, Boston, Virginia and New Jersey, Silvercrest provides traditional and alternative investment advisory and family office services to wealthy families and select institutional investors. The firm reported assets under management of $21.8 billion for the quarter end June 30, 2018.
