An Invitation to Support Wes Schiffler, One of ARM's Best

Editor’s Note: The following letter was sent to insideARM.com by two close colleagues of Wes Schiffler.

Dear colleagues,

It is with a mix of heavy hearts and inspired awe that we share this news: our colleague and friend Wes Schiffler, a few days short of turning 40, is courageously fighting one of the most fearsome forms of brain cancer out there.

The news struck like thunder when Wes had a seizure, a couple of short weeks ago.  Just a couple of days before that, we were with him and several other old friends and colleagues at a poker gathering. Nobody could have remotely divined any sign of impending danger in the jovial and healthy Wes we could see.

We are writing to our industry community and colleagues because we know that Wes, in his indomitable spirit, is steadily building up to turn the tables on this challenge.  He is energized and uplifted by the thought that it is in his cards to help others in a new way.  We feel in his everyday spirit that he sees his challenge as a way to support by example an important idea: that none of the many who confront seemingly insurmountable odds should ever give up, lose hope, or forget their opportunity for broad human significance.

Wes and his family

Having worked with Wes at Cargill Value Investment (later CarVal Investors) nearly every day for a combined 20+ years, the two of us feel we have received so much.  We would submit that he always stood for standards of the highest relevance for our industry: integrity, partnership, a sense of trust and professional community, and an unshakeable belief that investing in people is the best path to earning true and sustainable returns of any kind.  He is still and will remain standing, and we ask for your help, thoughts and prayers in standing with him and his wife of over 16 years, Shanna, and their four wonderful children.

As we are sure that no words we could come up with come close to expressing our full feelings, or who Wes truly is, we would like to urge all of you to visit Wes’ outreach website, where his thoughts and those of hundreds of his friends and supporters put real substance around the challenge we are preparing to face as a team.

Wes has encouraged everyone to use posting on his website rather than direct email to communicate.  The website is http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/wesschiffler/

May we all receive his message.

Sincerely,

Robert Ribciuc and Gregg Haugen

We are grateful to our friends at Kaulkin Ginsberg for their support of Wes and his family.