R. Martin “Marty” Chavez

R. Martin “Marty” Chavez, a trailblazing entrepreneur who turned a Wall Street trading business into a software business and in the process revolutionized the way capital moves and works, will provide insights into the world of finance on Tuesday, March 12, as part of the Younes Nazarian Distinguished Speaker Series at California State University, Northridge.

Chavez, currently a partner and a vice chairman of the global investment firm Sixth Street, is scheduled to give a fireside chat from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the university’s Orchard Conference Center, located near the Lindley Avenue entrance to the campus.

“Dr. Chavez is widely renowned as a financial trailblazer, influential business leader and champion of diversity—both in the workplace and the community,” said Chandra Subramaniam, dean of CSUN’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, which hosts the speaker series. “He is also known as an outstanding role model and mentor to many. Having Dr. Chavez join us to share his insights is an invaluable opportunity for Nazarian College students and the overall community.”

The Nazarian Distinguished Speaker Series was created with the intention of bringing speakers to CSUN’s campus who can motivate and inspire students and alumni. The series is named in honor of the late philanthropist and entrepreneur Younes Nazarian, a passionate supporter of education and the arts and a principal supporter of CSUN’s Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya). His son, David, a prominent businessman, philanthropist and CSUN alumnus, made a transformative gift that was recognized by the naming of CSUN’s business college as the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics.

Los Angeles Clippers CFO Eric Chan opened the annual series in October with a discussion about his journey from college student entrepreneur to C-Suite executive of a multimillion-dollar professional basketball franchise.

Chavez is expected to discuss his career journey and offer advice for CSUN students from a wide range of majors and disciplines during the event.

Chavez joined Sixth Street in 2021, two years after retiring as chief information officer and chief financial officer at Goldman Sachs where he was also global co-head of the firm’s securities division. He was also a partner and member of the Goldman Sachs Management Committee. Chavez was one of the first developers of SecDB, an early platform that transformed the trading business into a software business. While at Goldman Sachs, Chavez was one of the few openly gay men in a top job on Wall Street and led the firm’s efforts to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Chavez was the CEO and co-founder of Kiodex, a provider of web-based risk management and trading systems, and chief technology officer and co-founder of Quorum Software Systems.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemical sciences and a master’s degree in computer science from Harvard University and a doctorate in medical information sciences from Stanford University.

For more information, visit the Nazarian Distinguished Speaker Series website.

David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, Nazarian Distinguished Speaker Series, R. Martin “Marty” Chavez