If you stand on any busy street corner in America for 60-seconds, you will see at least one of the automobiles that Edward Hightower had a leading role in creating and bringing to market.
The iconic BMW 6 Series, Lincoln Navigator, Buick Enclave, and new Chevy Blazer are a few examples.
Hightower is an accomplished global automotive engineering and business executive, entrepreneur,and author. He is managing director of Motoring Ventures LLC, an investment, growth, andoperations consulting firm.
Previously, Hightower served in several new-product design and engineering, strategy, brand marketing, and senior executive roles between Ford, BMW, and GM. He led GM’s $15 billion global crossovers business as executive chief engineer and vehicle line executive, served as chief engineer for Ford’s full-size SUVs, and served as BMW’s brand manager for the 5, 6, & 7 Series models in the U.S. He also worked as a hands-on management consultant at AlixPartners, LLP; fixing business operations, growing revenue, and advising on over $8.4 billion in M&A transactions.
Hightower authored the book Motoring Africa: Sustainable Automotive Industrialization. Building
Entrepreneurs, Creating Jobs, and Driving the World’s Next Economic Miracle, published in 2018. Based on his industry experiences in China, India, South Korea, Mexico and Brazil, Motoring Africa offers an actionable roadmap for building sustainable manufacturing businesses in (6) of Africa’s (55) countries.
Originally from Chicago, Hightower earned a BS in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He is a lifetime member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Hightower is a 5th degree Black Belt and certified sensei instructor of Isshinryu karate. He and his family live in metro Detroit, Michigan.
