When Alexander Kadish ’01 graduated from Syracuse University in the months before 9/11, little did he know that, in the rollercoaster world of finance, the quickest path is sometimes the windy one.

“Syracuse gave me a well-rounded education, and exposed me to many different cultures,” says the Los Angeles resident, who majored in economics in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School. “It taught me how to work well with others, giving me a base of knowledge that I could take with me into the real world.”

The “real world,” in Kadish’s case, has involved stints at Morgan Stanley (MS) Smith Barney, Bank of America, Jefferies and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Kadish came full circle in February 2016, when he returned to MS to join its private wealth management division. In a move that turned the industry on its ear, Kadish and two other colleagues left JPMorgan Securities for MS’ Beverly Hills branch, bringing with them more than $11 million in production and over $1 billion in assets, according to Barron’s magazine.

“We’re committed to providing our clients with a customized strategy that focuses on the preservation and growth of their wealth,” says Kadish, an executive director and private wealth advisor at MS. “Each of us has a specific area of industry knowledge and experience to structure and manage tax-efficient, low-volatility investment portfolios.”

Work is not the only place where Kadish seeks, in his words, to “forge deep, trusted, long-term relationships.” Earlier this year, he established the Alexandra C. and Alexander H. '01 Kadish Endowed Scholarship for deserving first-year students in A&S.

Named in part for his wife, the scholarship initially will benefit one student a year, with preference given to candidates from Manhattan Beach, California, where Kadish currently resides, or Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where he was raised and attended high school.

Kadish’s philanthropy was inspired, in part, by relationships with Syracuse faculty—particularly Jerry Evensky, the Meredith Professor of Economics; and Douglas Holtz-Eakin, then the Trustee Professor and chair of economics, who is now president of the American Action Forum.

“They taught me the value of being honest, fair and caring—qualities that are important in my line of work,” says Kadish, who also supports United Friends of the Children, a nonprofit organization in Central LA that benefits current and former foster youth.

Southern California may be a long way from Central New York, but time and distance have done little to erase Kadish’s fond memories of campus—from participating in Delta Kappa Epsilon, one of the nation’s oldest fraternities; to cheering on the Orange in the Dome; to hanging out with friends on Marshall Street.

His advice for current students? “Keep studying,” he says matter-of-factly. “In my field, no two days are alike. The markets are always changing, so you need to know how to adapt. Syracuse taught me that.”


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