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California State University, Northridge

Robert Taylor is an accomplished engineer, lawyer, financial services leader and community builder whose goal from an early age has been to “pay it forward.” He earned his undergraduate degree in engineering at California State University, Northridge while participating in the Minority Engineering Program. He credits his faculty mentors and supporters in the program for helping him develop the skills to thrive in his studies and to advance toward his highest aspirations. He earned his MBA and law degrees at Stanford University and then launched his career at McKinsey & Company, one of the world’s most-recognized management consulting firms.

Mr. Taylor has cofounded two private equity and financial services firms, including Centinela Capital Partners LLC, where he is currently president and chief executive officer. He simultaneously serves as managing partner in 3.5.7.11, a holding company that creates wealth by building high-performing and inclusive businesses and utilizing its corporate partnerships, relationships with leaders, deep operating experience and values-based culture to achieve its goals.

Throughout his career, Mr. Taylor has blazed trails and leveraged his successes to help realize economic justice for underresourced groups, bringing his talent and skills back to his community to create opportunities for others to follow in his footsteps.

Mr. Taylor played an instrumental role in the Rebuild LA initiative under Mayor Tom Bradley following the Los Angeles civil unrest in 1992. Through this work he connected with, and became a leader in, the local and national work of the Urban League, which works to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.

In addition to serving on more than two dozen corporate and nonprofit boards, Mr. Taylor has remained a proud and engaged Matador. He has volunteered at CSUN in many capacities, including serving numerous years on the CSUN Foundation Board, which he currently chairs. He is a leader among leaders and a mentor and role model for many.

In recognition of his extraordinary professional and volunteer contributions, and for his tremendous support in expanding access to the transformative power of higher education, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, Northridge are proud to confer upon Robert Taylor the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.