Martin Nesbitt, '89
Co-founder and Co-CEO of The Vistria Group, LLC
Martin Nesbitt co-founded and serves as co-CEO of The Vistria Group, LLC, a Chicago-based investment company focused on the healthcare, knowledge & learning, and financial services.
Prior to 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 and was responsible for running all strategic and operating aspects of the company. In 2011, The Parking Spot was sold. Before launching The Parking Spot, Mr. Nesbitt was an officer of the Pritzker Realty Group, L.P., the real estate group primarily responsible for the Pritzker family business interests. Mr. Nesbitt also previously held the position as Equity Vice President and Investment Manager at LaSalle Partners (predecessor company to JLL, Inc.) with a variety of responsibilities including investment management for regional retail properties, office projects, and parking.
In his various leadership capacities, Mr. Nesbitt has been successful at guiding executive teams toward the achievement of goals established to maximize returns on his investments. 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 like The New York Times, USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Fortune Small Business Magazine.
Mr. Nesbitt currently serves on the Board of Directors of American Airlines Group, CenterPoint Energy, and Chewy, Inc. He is a Trustee of Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a Trustee of Rush University Medical Center and serves as Chairman of the Barack Obama Foundation. Mr. Nesbitt was formally a Board Member of Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL, Inc.), Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee, and served as Treasurer of President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.
Mr. Nesbitt has a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree and honorary doctorate from Albion College.