Martin Nesbitt

Martin Nesbitt

Martin Nesbitt is the Board Chair of the Barack Obama Foundation. Appointed to the position by the President in July 2014, Mr. Nesbitt oversaw the selection process for the Barack Obama Presidential Center. In May of this year, the Foundation announced that the honor would go to Chicago, which bested rival bids from New York and Hawaii. A longtime friend of President Obama, Mr. Nesbitt also served as the national treasurer for his 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns. Mr. Nesbitt serves as Co-CEO of The Vistria Group, a Chicago-based investment company focused on the education, healthcare, and financial services industries. Prior to co-founding Vistria, Mr. Nesbitt served as CEO of The Parking Spot, an owner and operator of off-airport parking facilities. Mr. Nesbitt conceptualized and co-founded The Parking Spot in 1998, and was responsible for running all strategic and operating aspects. Mr. Nesbitt’s approach to the off-airport parking business was heralded by industry insiders as extremely innovative and has been recognized in national publications such as The New York Times, USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business Magazine. Prior to launching The Parking Spot, Mr. Nesbitt was an officer of the Pritzker Realty Group. Before joining Pritzker, Mr. Nesbitt was an Investment Manager at LaSalle Partners, where his responsibilities included investment management for regional retail properties, and management and leasing for office projects and parking. Mr. Nesbitt currently serves on the Board of Directors of Jones Lang LaSalle, Norfolk Southern Corporation, and the Noble Network of Charter Schools, and he is a Trustee of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Mr. Nesbitt formerly served as Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Housing Authority and was a board member of the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee. Mr. Nesbitt has a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor of Science degree and honorary doctorate from Albion College.