Currently the vice president in charge of defense programs at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, Dana Pittard increased the firm’s revenues by more than a third over a three-year period. The first African American vice president in the century-old history of the company and a veteran US Army officer, Dana Pittard ranked among Savoy magazine’s “Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America” in 2018.
Every spring, the business- and lifestyle-focused publication announces this prestigious list of the most effective and inspiring African American executives. On the occasion of the 2018 list’s publication, Savoy’s editorial team noted that it represents an elite group of high achievers, all renowned for their leadership skills in visible roles in major corporations. All have contributed in some way to the promotion of growth in a variety of American and international industries.
The special double-cover issue of Savoy celebrating this list spotlighted pharmaceutical executive Kenneth C. Frazier, CEO of Merck & Co., alongside actor Chadwick Boseman, star of the Oscar-nominated movie Black Panther.
In addition to his work driving forward the success of Allison Transmission and the American defense industry, Major General Pittard was a recipient of the 2017 National Matt’s Hero Award for his suicide prevention work in the army, presented by the Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation.
