2026 “Ike” Hunt Hall of Honor Recipient
Commencing in January 2020, Robert A. Marchman, Esq., served as the first Senior Policy Advisor on Diversity and Inclusion at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He retired from the SEC in September 2025. As Senior Policy Advisor, his responsibilities included advising the Chairman and senior leadership on the Development and implementation of mission-focused strategies to promote diversity and inclusion both within the SEC and through external engagement with agency partners and market participants. He also assisted, including chairing the Investor Advisory Nominating Committee, the SEC’s efforts to enhance diverse representation on its independent advisory committees and was recognized for exponentially increasing such representation on the advisory committees. Mr. Marchman also assisted the agency’s ongoing efforts to promote outreach in underrepresented investor communities.
Prior to rejoining the SEC, Mr. Marchman held the role of Special Advisor to the Head of the Department of Enforcement of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). His responsibilities included providing advice and guidance to the Department Head on a variety of programmatic, operational and policy issues. In addition, Mr. Marchman continued to play a major role in providing guidance to FINRA senior management with regard to its diversity and inclusion efforts. He also took on a leadership role in promoting FINRA’s then-new Securities Industries Essentials (SIE) exam with a focus on increasing representation of underrepresented groups in the financial securities industry.
In June 2010, Mr. Marchman joined FINRA as Executive Vice President and Head of the Market Regulation Department’s Legal Group in the continuation of a career devoted exclusively to protecting the interests of the investing public. Under Mr. Marchman’s leadership, the Legal Group brought a number of significant disciplinary actions, including cases involving violations of SEC Rule 15c-3-5 (which resulted in fines of approximately $5 million dollars) and high-frequency manipulative trading. Mr. Marchman also guided his team in bringing significant disciplinary actions on behalf of FINRA’s Regulatory Service Agreement (RSA) clients.
Prior to joining FINRA, Mr. Marchman headed the New York Stock Exchange Regulation’s Enforcement Division and Regulatory Risk Group (2007 – 2010) as well as its Market Surveillance Division (2004 – 2007). During his tenure at the NYSE, Mr. Marchman became the first African-American in the storied history of the NYSE to be promoted to the positions of: Vice President, Senior Vice President and Executive Vice President. In his leadership roles, he directed several high profile and significant securities regulation disciplinary actions including the research analysts conflict of interest actions (matter resulted in disciplinary actions by federal, state and SRO regulators against 12 member firms with the imposition of fines of over $1.4 billion dollars, the establishment of new research analyst report requirements and the creation of a fund for financial literacy education) and the disclosure specialist trading ahead cases (joint disciplinary actions by SEC and NYSE resulted in fines of $242 million dollars and bars against several Exchange Floor specialists), developed and implemented a new regulatory risk assessment program and led the surveillance department in the implementation of new and robust surveillances through a period of major challenge and disruption at the NYSE with regard to the implementation of a hybrid trading platform and the aftermath of an SEC disciplinary action against the NYSE. Mr. Marchman developed and implemented the NYSE’s diversity initiative and served as Chairman of NYSE Diversity Council from its inception in 1999 until his departure from the NYSE. In his role as Chairman, he played a critical role in leading important Exchange initiatives such as recruitment and retention efforts, mentoring, business development, financial literacy programs and outreach to communities of color.
Prior to joining the NYSE in 1989, Mr. Marchman was a Branch Chief in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement in Washington, D.C., where he started his stellar legal career in 1983 after being selected for the Chairman’s Attorney Honors Program. During his tenure at the SEC, Mr. Marchman was part of the investigative team that resulted in the seminal insider trading cases against Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken, Drexel Burnham Lambert and Boyd Jefferies (an investigation on which he was the lead attorney)
Mr. Marchman is a magna cum laude graduate of Allegheny College, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and received his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. In addition, Mr. Marchman attended Harvard Business School’s Program for Management Development and received Certificates for Diversity and Inclusion Studies from the Harvard Kennedy School and Cornell University.
Mr. Marchman has and is involved with professional and civic organizations such as The New York City Bar Association, The Buttermilk Club, Allegheny College (Board of Trustees); Operation HOPE, PFLAG; the National Society for High School Scholars (NSHSS) Foundation, CEE, University of Pennsylvania Law School Board of Managers, Maplewood, NJ Township Zoning Board, and the Community Coalition on Race of South Orange – Maplewood ( Founding Member and former Chairman). He currently serves as President of the Maplewood, NJ Public Library Board of Trustees, which played a key role in the opening in July 2025 of a state-of-the-art $24 million new library.
Mr. Marchman has been active in his community advocating for educational and recreational opportunities for youth. He and his wife and high school sweetheart, Fay, have also been recognized for their philanthropic efforts including the funding of a scholarship fund at Allegheny College and a programs fund at Maplewood Memorial Public Library.
Mr. Marchman faithfully serves as a Lector at Our Lady of Sorrows Church in South Orange, NJ.
Mr. Marchman has been the recipient of awards for professional accomplishments as well as community and civic service including the National Bar Association Corporate Law Section’s Corporate Lawyer of The Year; Savoy Magazine’s “Top 100 African – Americans in Corporate America”; Rainbow PUSH/Wall Street Project Distinguished Career and Diversity Champion Award; Upstanding’s International Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executive Power List; University of Pennsylvania Law School Alumni Award of Merit; National Multicultural Institute’s Leading Light Diversity Award; NV Magazine “Wall Street” Achievement Award; Allegheny College Alumni Award (professional accomplishments); Harlem YMCA “African – American Achiever” Award; Concerned Black Men (Washington, DC) Founder’s Award; Junior Achievement Volunteerism Award; The Urban League of Essex County “Dare to Dream” Award; The South Orange Civic Association “Beloved Community Contributor” Award; CCR’s Visionary Community Leader Award; Wall Street in Black “Industry Pioneer” Award; Maplewood, NJ Civic Association Maple Leaf Award; Operation HOPE Chairman’s Award; Pop Warner Football League Community Spirit Award and the Youth About Business “Commitment to Excellence” Award.
Mr. Marchman, a native of Brooklyn, NY who spent his formative years in public housing and attend public school, is a dedicated husband, father and grandfather. He is a long-time resident of Maplewood, NJ.
Read more about the Hall of Honor Virtual Celebration.