Robert A. Martin: In Memoriam
Denver, CO – Excellere Partners is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Rob Martin, a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of the firm and a dear friend. Rob passed as a result of complications from his battle with cancer after recently celebrating his 69th birthday.
Rob had a long and distinguished career as an entrepreneur (founding two businesses), as an investment banker advising business owners, and most recently as a private equity investor partnering with entrepreneurs. Throughout his career, Rob was a tireless champion for business owners.
In 2006, Rob co-founded Excellere Partners with David Kessenich to pursue a vision for supporting the aspirations of entrepreneurs and providing the necessary resources for their emerging growth companies to become industry leaders. Over the ensuing 11 years, the firm has generated extraordinary investment returns with its entrepreneurs and LP investment partners, ranking as one of the top performing private equity investment firms globally.
“Rob’s sense of humor, creativity, determination, passion and continuous challenge of the status quo will forever remain a foundation of our firm,” said David Kessenich, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Excellere Partners. “His legacy will be remembered through our firm’s value statement – Striving to Do the Right Things, the Right Way, with Excellence, which was one of the first things that we developed when starting the firm.” Kessenich continued, “Rob was a world-class networker and an inspiring leader. His guidance and mentorship have had a tremendous impact on our firm’s next generation of investment leadership team of Matt Hicks, Patrick O’Keefe and Ryan Glaws, who have been with the firm since inception, and Brad Cornell for almost seven years.
“No words can adequately express our sadness at Rob’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to have worked with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much. On behalf of the entire team at Excellere Partners, we extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Karen and his entire family.” Kessenich concluded, “Rob was a huge presence in our lives and he will be dearly missed.”
In lieu of cards or condolences, Rob’s wishes were for donations to the Denver Rescue Mission, which provide services to people experiencing homelessness, at www.denverrescuemission.org or P.O. Box 5206, Denver, CO 80217.