Dennis Jaffe

DENNIS T. JAFFE PH.D. has been a leading architect of the field of family enterprise consulting. He has helped hundreds of families overcome personal and organizational challenges in the successful transfer of businesses, wealth, values, and legacies across generations. As an organizational consultant and psychologist, Dennis has written a series of books that guide members of family enterprises, including Stewardship in Your Family Enterprise: Developing Responsible Leadership Across Generations, Working with the Ones You Love: Building a Successful Family Business and Working with Family Businesses: A Guide for Professional Advisors. He is the creator of The Values Edge, an assessment tool that allows families to create personal and family values pyramids, and the Family Enterprise Assessment Tool, an online assessment where multi-generational business families can compare perspectives on ten competencies to understand their family dynamics and enterprise.Dennis is spearheading a study of successful multi¬generational global family enterprises as a member of Wise Counsel Research Associates. His work has been summarized in several working papers including Good Fortune: Building a Hundred Year Family Enterprise and Releasing the Potential of the Rising Generation (available on Amazon). A prominent member of the Family Firm Institute (FFI) since its inception, Dennis was recognized in 2006 with the prestigious Richard Beckhard Award for his contributions to FFI and the field. He was also named Thinker in Residence in 2007 for South Australia, helping the region design a strategic plan for the future of Australian entrepreneurial and family businesses. His global insights have led to teaching and consulting engagements in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. He is currently part of the Polaris team working with the Family Business Network to create a roadmap for family and business sustainability. Dennis was Professor of Organizational Systems and Psychology for 35 years at Saybrook University, where he is now professor emeritus. He has been a frequent contributor to journals and periodicals such as Families in Business, Private Wealth magazine, Journal of Wealth Management, and Worth magazine. His work has been featured in Inc. magazine, Entrepreneur, Time and The Wall Street Journal.Dennis received his B.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Management and Ph.D. in Sociology from Yale University. He currently lives in San Francisco, CA, where his consulting practice is located. Website: www.DennisJaffe.com.