MaryAnn Wright, vice president of global engineering and product development for power solutions at Johnson Controls Inc. based in Milwaukee, has been named to the board of trustees of 4,500-student Lawrence Technological University.
Trustees at Lawrence Tech establish strategic direction, help formulate and approve major institutional policies, and hire the university’s executive team. They serve without compensation.
Wright is responsible for research and product development across the full spectrum of energy storage solutions at Johnson Controls. She has also served as vice president and general manager for Johnson Controls’ hybrid systems business, and CEO of Johnson Controls-Saft, which under her leadership became a leading independent global provider of hybrid battery systems.
Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Wright was executive vice president for engineering, product development, and commercial and program management for Collins & Aikman Corp. headquartered in Southfield.
MaryAnn Wright
She began her career at Ford Motor Company in 1988 and held a variety of positions in finance, product and business planning, and engineering. As director of sustainable mobility technologies and hybrid vehicle programs, she was responsible for all hybrid, fuel cell and alternative fuel technology development. She served as chief engineer of the 2005 Ford Escape Hybrid, the industry’s first full hybrid SUV, and led the launch of Ford’s first hydrogen-powered fuel cell fleet program.
“We are delighted to have Ms. Wright join our board and for us to have the benefit of her leadership and counsel as we work to advance the programs and services for students at LTU,” said Lloyd E. Reuss, chairman of the university’s board of trustees. “She works in a field where Lawrence Tech places significant numbers of graduates, so her knowledge of current and emerging industry needs will be especially helpful.”
Wright has a bachelor’s degree in economics and international business and a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Michigan, as well as an MBA from Wayne State University.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 7 percent of universities for return on undergraduate tuition investment, and highest in the Detroit metropolitan area. Lawrence Tech is also listed in the top tier of Midwestern universities by U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review. Students benefit from small class sizes and experienced faculty who provide a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 102-acre campus include over 60 student clubs and organizations and a growing roster of NAIA varsity sports.