Dennis Fowler Hightower (born October 28, 1941 in Washington, D.C.), is a former
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
officer, retired business executive, college educator, and public servant who was the
United States Deputy Secretary of Commerce
The Deputy Secretary of Commerce is a high-ranking position within the U.S. Department of Commerce. It was created on December 13, 1979, when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and nominated Luther H. Hodges Jr., who then curr ...
from August 11, 2009 to August 27, 2010.
Early life and education
He spent his formative years in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, and graduated from McKinley High School in 1958, at age 16, as class president. He entered
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
that same year and graduated in 1962, at age 20, with a BS degree. While at Howard, he was a student leader; a student athlete (swimming, riflery and rowing); the top graduating senior and a Distinguished Military Graduate of the
Army ROTC
The Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AROTC) is the United States Army component of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps. It is the largest Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program which is a group of college and university-based offic ...
program; and a member of
Kappa Delta Pi
Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, () is an honor society for education. It was founded in 1911 and was one of the first discipline-specific honor societies. Its membership is limited to the top 20 percent of those entering ...
(National Education Honor Society),
Scabbard and Blade
Scabbard and Blade (S&B) is a college military honor society founded at the University of Wisconsin in 1904. Although membership is open to Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets and midshipmen of all military services, the society is mod ...
(National Military Honor Society), and
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African American fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never restricted membership on the basis of color, creed ...
fraternity.
Military service
Commissioned as a Regular Army 2d Lieutenant in June 1962, Hightower completed the
US Army Ranger School and
US Army Airborne School, and served in the 101st Airborne Division as a platoon leader, company commander, and S-3 air operations officer. Later,
he was trained in counterintelligence and field operations intelligence (HUMINT), and served in strategic and operational assignments in the US and abroad. While pursuing graduate studies in Soviet and Eastern Europe Affairs, Hightower was inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society).
Hightower served in Vietnam with the 199th Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light) as: Intelligence Officer, 4th Bn/12th Infantry; Commanding Officer, 179th Military Intelligence Detachment; and as Intelligence Officer, 199th Infantry Brigade. He was promoted to the rank of Major in Vietnam at age 27. During his eight-year military career, he was awarded numerous individual decorations including 2 Bronze Star Medals, the Purple Heart Medal, 3 Air Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, 5 Army Commendation Medals with "V" device for Valor in Combat, and the Republic of Vietnam Honor Medal (First Class). In addition, he was the recipient of four Unit Combat Awards, the Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Army Ranger Tab, and Senior Parachutist Badge. Hightower resigned his commission in June 1970, after early selection to attend the
United States Army Command and General Staff College
The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
.
Career
After his military service, Hightower joined
Xerox
Xerox Holdings Corporation (; also known simply as Xerox) is an American corporation that sells print and electronic document, digital document products and services in more than 160 countries. Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut (ha ...
, and two years later, he was awarded a fellowship to study at
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
, from which he earned his MBA in 1974. Following that, he was a senior associate/engagement manager at
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...
; vice president and general manager of
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
's lighting business in Mexico; vice president of corporate strategy at
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
; and managing director at Russell Reynolds Associates in Los Angeles.
In 1987, Hightower was recruited by
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, where he served as president of Disney Consumer Products for Europe, Middle East and Africa, based in Paris. He grew the business - 42 countries, 16 subsidiaries and joint ventures throughout the region - to a seven-fold increase in revenues between 1987 and 1995; and led Disney's entry into Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union prior to its demise (1987-1990), the Middle East (1992), and Post-apartheid South Africa (1994). Hightower later served as president of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications, then Disney's largest division based on revenues and operating income. He retired in June 1996.
When Hightower retired from The Walt Disney Company, he was among the ten highest-ranking African American executives in corporate America.
In July 1996, Hightower joined the faculty of Harvard Business School, initially as a Senior Lecturer (1996–97), and for three years thereafter as Professor of Management in the first year MBA program, where he focused on leadership, building emerging markets, and global general management. He also taught in senior executive programs in South Africa and the Middle East.
From 2000 to 2001, Hightower was CEO of Europe Online Networks, a privately held satellite-delivered interactive company based in Luxembourg. He returned to the United States to be treated for cancer.
Over the years, Hightower has served on numerous corporate and not-for profit boards including: The
TJX Companies
The TJX Companies, Inc. (abbreviated TJX) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Discount store, off-price department store corporation, headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts. It was formed as a subsidiary of Zayre, Zayre ...
,
PanAmSat
The former PanAmSat Corporation founded in 1984 by Reynold (Rene) Anselmo, was a satellite service provider headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, United States. It operated a fleet of communications satellites used by the entertainment ind ...
,
PVH,
Northwest Airlines
Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...
,
The Gillette Company
Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G).
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gil ...
,
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc., trading as Domino's, is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain founded in 1960 and led by CEO Russell Weiner. The corporation is Delaware domiciled and headquartered at the Domino's Farms Office Park in Ann Arbor ...
,
Accenture
Accenture plc is an Irish-American professional services company based in Dublin, specializing in information technology (IT) services and consulting. A ''Fortune'' Global 500 company, it reported revenues of $61.6 billion in 2022. Accentur ...
, the Price Waterhouse Chairman's Advisory Council, and Brown Capital Management. In the public sector, he has served on the
Defense Business Board
The Defense Business Board was established in 2001 as a complement to broader transformation efforts in the Department of Defense from an overly burdensome bureaucracy to a more streamlined, effective organization. The Board consists of approxi ...
,
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) was the United States Government's Development finance institution until it merged with the Development Credit Authority (DCA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID ...
(OPIC),
Casey Family Programs, Harvard Business School Visiting Committee, Howard University Board of Trustees,
Morehouse College
, mottoeng = And there was light (literal translation of Latin itself translated from Hebrew: "And light was made")
, type = Private historically black men's liberal arts college
, academic_affiliations ...
Andrew Young Center for International Affairs, the Ron Brown Scholar Program, the Bert King Foundation, the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the French Heritage Society.
He has been a guest lecturer on leadership at
IMD in Switzerland,
INSEAD
INSEAD, a contraction of "Institut Européen d'Administration des Affaires" () is a non-profit business school that maintains campuses in Europe ( Fontainebleau, France), Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, UAE), and North America (San ...
in France, the
London Business School
London Business School (LBS) is a business school and a constituent college of the federal University of London. LBS was founded in 1964 and awards post-graduate degrees (Master's degrees in management and finance, MBA and PhD). Its motto is " ...
, the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
, the
United States Military Academy Preparatory School
The United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS), sometimes referred to as West Point Prep, is a preparatory school for the United States Military Academy (USMA). Located in West Point, New York, its official mission is "to provi ...
, the National Association of Corporate Directors, and various private organizations in Brazil, India and Singapore.
His travels for business and other purposes have taken him to 91 countries, and he has conducted negotiations with business and political leaders throughout the world. His achievements in business have resulted in many awards bestowed by academic, business and civic organizations throughout the years.
Hightower was confirmed by unanimous vote by the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
on August 7, 2009 to replace
John J. Sullivan, who resigned from this office on January 20, 2009.
As Deputy Secretary, Hightower functioned as the chief operating officer of a Department with a $17 billion budget and 55,000 employees; and was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Department's twelve bureaus. He was a member of the
President's Management Council, the committee on foreign investment in the U.S., cabinet-level task forces dealing with the Recovery Act, broadband access, export controls, satellite acquisition, and selected national security matters; a representative to the
Transatlantic Business Dialogue
The Transatlantic Business Council (TABC) is an advocacy group of more than 70 multinational corporations, headquartered in the United States or Europe. A strategic programme within the TABC is the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). The TABC, ...
on trade deliberations with the EU; and a board member of OPIC. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke commented that "Hightower brought skills he had learned at the top levels of business to help shepherd some of Commerce's most complicated initiatives, including satellite acquisition, cybersecurity and the Recovery Act's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program. We deeply appreciated Dennis' service especially the mentoring he provided to senior Commerce managers. He took on some of Commerce's most difficult challenges, and in every case, those programs are on a better footing today because of his diligent work." In a White House Press Release on July 15, 2010, President Obama stated: "I thank Dennis for his service to the country and to my administration. I appreciate his guidance and hard work on various important priorities, from expanding broadband Internet access across the country to reforming our export control system in a way that enhances our competitiveness and our security. I wish him the best in his future endeavors." Hightower resigned on August 27, 2010, due to a health-related matter, to return to the private sector.
References
External links
Dennis Hightower Profile Page on BigSpeak.com*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hightower, Dennis
1941 births
Harvard Business School alumni
Howard University alumni
Living people
Obama administration personnel
People from Washington, D.C.
United States Deputy Secretaries of Commerce