After many years of leading some of the best-known businesses in the world, former Walt Disney Television & Telecommunications president Dennis Hightower is devoting much of his retirement to educational and children’s issues.
Hightower began his career in the U.S. Army, serving eight years and rising to the rank of major. He subsequently spent more than 25 years in leadership positions at companies such as McKinsey & Company, General Electric, Mattel, and The Walt Disney Company.
A founding member of the Ron Brown Scholar Program Selection Committee, Hightower considers education an issue of high importance. His philanthropy focuses on areas of youth development and need-based scholarships to talented youth. Following his retirement from business, he taught at Harvard Business School for four years and continues to mentor college students and young professionals. He serves on several boards, including Accenture, Ltd., Brown Capital Management, and Domino’s, Inc. He joined the board of Casey Family Programs in 2003.
Hightower has received numerous honors, awards, and citations for his business, civic, military, and academic achievements. Black Enterprise magazine named him one of 40 Most Powerful Black Executives in 1993 and one of 25 Top Black Managers in Corporate America in 1988. Hightower received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and his B.S. from Howard University.