Lee Styslinger III
Lee J. Styslinger III is an American businessman, philanthropist, and policy advisor. He is co-owner of Altec, Inc., and has previously served as its chairman, chief executive officer, and/or President since 1994. Altec designs, produces, and markets "for the electric and telecommunications industries" in around 100 countries. He serves on various boards and committees.
Early life and education
Styslinger was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He earned an undergraduate degree from Northwestern University in 1983 and an MBA from Harvard University in 1988.Business career
In 1983, Styslinger started his career at Altec, Inc.—a company his grandfather founded in 1929. He became president in 1994 and was named CEO in 1997, and now serves as co-owner of Altec, Inc., the Holding Company for Altec Industries, Capital Services, National Equipment Company, Altec Worldwide, Global Rental, and Altec Ventures. In 2012, Styslinger was named one of the most influential people in Birmingham by the Birmingham Business Journal.He is on the board of directors of Workday, Regions Financial Corporation, and Vulcan Materials Company. He is a member of The Business Roundtable and The Business Council. He serves on the dean’s board of advisers for Harvard Business School and on the board of advisors for Northwestern University. Styslinger is also a trustee and board member for the Children’s Hospital of Alabama and for the Brookings Institution.
Public policy
From 2006 to 2008, Styslinger served as an appointee on the President’s Export Council, where he advised then-President George W. Bush on trade policy. He became a member of President Donald Trump’s Manufacturing Council in February 2017, focused on Workforce Policy, Deregulation, and Infrastructure. He is also on the Council on Foreign Relations, where he is part of the independent task force behind a report on workforce changes, and on the Advisory Committee for Trade and Negotiations of the Office of [the United States Trade Representative].In April 2020, Styslinger was selected to be part of the Great American Economic Revival Advisory Council assembled by President Trump. This council was established to lead the reopening of the US economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.