Edward T. Hightower

Edward Hightower is an electric vehicle OEM CEO, global automotive executive, entrepreneur, board director, and author. He is the founder and managing director of Motoring Ventures LLC, an investment, growth, strategy, and operations consulting firm focused on driving value + impact in the global automotive industry.

Previously, he served as chief executive officer and president of Lordstown Motors Corp., an original equipment manufacturer of electric vehicles for the commercial fleet market. In 2022, he led the operational turnaround of the company, implementation of a new asset-light business strategy, and launch of its first vehicle – the Endurance battery electric full-size pickup truck. In doing so, over 700 jobs were saved, and Endurance was selected as a finalist for 2023 North American Truck of the Year. Of all the new light-duty electric vehicle manufacturers, Lordstown was one of the very few (Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and Lordstown) to have successfully developed, certified, launched, and delivered its vehicles to customers. Crain’s Automotive News magazine recognized Hightower as the first African American CEO of a publicly traded automaker. Hightower also served as CEO of the electric vehicle design and engineering joint venture between Lordstown and Foxconn.

Earlier, Hightower served in several new-product development, engineering, strategy, brand marketing, and senior executive roles between Ford, BMW, and GM. If you stand on any busy street corner in America for 60-seconds, you will see at least one of the automobiles for which he had a leading role in creating and bringing to market. Hightower also worked as a hands-on growth, strategy, operations, and M&A consultant at AlixPartners, LLP. He has also served on several public, private, and not-for-profit boards of directors.

Hightower authored the book Motoring Africa: Sustainable Automotive Industrialization, published in 2018. Based on his industry experiences in China, India, South Korea, Mexico and Brazil, Motoring Africa makes the case and offers an actionable roadmap for economic development by building sustainable automotive manufacturing businesses in six of the 54 countries in Africa.

Originally from Chicago, Hightower earned a BS in General Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He serves on the Ross School Advisory Board, Sanger Leadership Center Advisory Board, and chaired the Ross Alumni Board of Governors. He is a two-time recipient of the Alumnus of the Year award from the Ross Black Business Students Association; and a recipient of the Bert F. Wertman Ross Alumni Service award. He is a lifetime member of both Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the Council on Foreign Relations. An Eagle Scout, he previously served on the executive board of the Michigan Council of the Boy Scouts of America and is a recipient of the National Outstanding Eagle Scout award. Hightower is a 6th degree Master Black Belt and certified Sensei instructor in Isshinryu karate. He and his family live in metro Detroit.