Martin Nesbitt

Martin Hughes Nesbitt (born November 29, 1962) is an American businessman who is a co-CEO of Chicago-based private equity firm The Vistria Group. Marty serves on the boards of directors of publicly traded companies CenterPoint Energy, Norfolk Southern Corporation and American Airlines Group. Marty formerly served as the founder and chief executive officer of The Parking Spot, a Chicago-based airport parking company. He also served on the board of the Chicago Housing Authority. Nesbitt is a close personal friend of former U. S. President Barack Obama and was the campaign treasurer during Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He also servesas Chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation.

Nesbitt was born to an African-American family and raised in Columbus, Ohio, graduating from Columbus Academy. He went on to earn his bachelor's degree from Albion College in Albion, Michigan, in 1985. After working as a financial analyst at GMAC, he won a fellowship to study at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business, where he earned his MBA in 1991. From 1996 to 1998, he worked as the vice president of Pritzker Realty group and in 1998, he founded The Parking Spot along with investor Penny Pritzker. The Parking Spot offers airport parking services primarily for business travelers.

Nesbitt met Barack and Michelle Obama through Michelle Obama's brother Craig Robinson who was a high school basketball coach. He supported Obama's 2004 senate bid and served as the campaign treasurer on his 2008 presidential campaign. In 2013, he co-founded The Vistria Group, a private equity firm, with Chicago businessmanKip Kirkpatrick. Both Nesbitt and Kirkpatrick serve on the board of Rush University Medical Center. Along with a series of other funds, The Vistria Group acquired Apollo Education Group, one of the world's largest private education providers, in 2017. The firm has over $3.1 billion in assets under management from institutional investors like public retirement plans, corporations, endowments or foundations, high net-worth families, non-U.S. investors and financial institutions.

Nesbitt is currently serving on the foundation planning board for the home of the future Barack Obama Presidential Library and Museum.