In Tribute to Joe Tribendis
Joe passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on September 10, 2017. He’d cheered for his Steelers earlier that day with friends in Swampscott, Massachusetts, where he lived.
Joe was born and raised in Eastern Pennsylvania, but later became a Pittsburgher and a Bostonian. We shared a love of sports – he cheered for the teams of both towns, except for the Patriots of course! We had some of our favorite times together at the Big East basketball tournament in New York City.
Joe had a zest for life and great intellectual curiosity. He had his priorities straight, always family first as it should be. He was humble and self-deprecating, always upbeat, and highly intelligent as evidenced by his MS in Business and PhD in Materials Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in a joint program between the School of Engineering and the Sloan School of Management. Joe was quick witted and had a naturally warm personality; he quickly developed a rapport with clients and basically anyone he encountered. Joe was a truly genuine person and very forthright so you never had to wonder what he was thinking. I hear from clients things such as he’s a really great guy, a well-trusted advisor, a complete professional, and a truly gifted and nice man.
Joe and I met when we served together on the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) Board in Pittsburgh while Joe was with Alcoa. There he developed his experience for over 20 years in several management positions; he was highly skilled in business strategy, marketing, operations and corporate development. At Ventura Group, he created a strategic options and acquisitions target screening process, which was utilized effectively in client engagements. He especially enjoyed working with clients on sell-side transactions – researching their industries and telling their stories. While Joe was very accomplished in business, he was more defined as a wonderful father and husband and was all about family.
Joe was a great partner and a perfect fit for me, but more importantly he was a close friend for whom I had immense respect and admiration. He made the world a better place and is missed by many.
Read his obituary here