James Lowry
James H. Lowry is a Senior Advisor and Global Diversity Director for the Boston Consulting Group. In that capacity, he leads the firm’s workforce diversity, ethnic marketing and minority business development consulting practice. Prior to joining BCG, he had his own firm, James H. Lowry & Associates (JHLA), which was established in 1975. In 1978, JHLA prepared the first major study on minority business enterprise development for The Department of Commerce entitled, New Strategy for Minority Business. In 2005, Lowry authored a new study entitled Realizing the New Agenda for Minority Business Development sponsored by the Kauffman foundation, in conjunction with the Billion Dollar Roundtable.
Lowry held various positions with the U.S. Peace Corps including Associate Director in Lima, Peru. He later was Assistant to the President of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corp. and was a Senior Associate for McKinsey & Company, serving in London, New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
He is an Adjunct Professor, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management; Northwestern University Board of Directors; Chairman, Durban, South Africa/Chicago Sisters Cities Committee; Chairman of the Chicago Public Library Board, and a member of the Kraft Multicultural Council. He is presently a member of the Howard School of Business board, serves as Chairman for the Howard University Entrepreneurship Center, Chairman of the Executive Network of the RLJ Equity Fund, and a Member of the Toyota Diversity Advisory Board. He was a member of the Chicago Council of Foreign Relations, Harvard Business School Visiting Committee and Associate Producer of MBR: THE MINORITY BUSINESS REPORT and co-host of the Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant TV show.
Lowry received his undergraduate degree in political science from Grinnell College and a master’s degree in public international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He attended the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School and was elected president of his class. Lowry was honored in the Inaugural class of the Minority Business Hall of Fame. He was recently awarded an honorary Doctors of Laws degree from Grinnell College.
