Tim Lindsey

Dr. Tim Lindsey is a Senior Advisor to the University of Illinois Smart Energy Design Assistance Center and CEO of Highlander Innovation Inc.

For over 35 years, Dr. Tim Lindsey has helped organizations increase their competitiveness through improved sustainability performance in their processes, products, and systems. He is an accomplished program and project manager with experience in multiple sectors, including: mining, manufacturing, energy, biofuels, agriculture, food processing, chemical processing, and electronics. Dr. Lindsey is an internationally recognized expert regarding the use of sustainability principles to drive innovation. He served as Caterpillar’s first Global Director of Sustainability from 2012 to 2016 where he successfully championed the company’s transformational change to recognize sustainability as their 5th core value. During this transformation, he worked closely with various business units to implement sustainability principles throughout the corporate value chain. This included corporate roles (research, product development, human resources, accounting, strategy, and risk) and operational functions (supply chain, manufacturing, quality, logistics, dealerships, and customer operations).

Prior to his Caterpillar career, Dr. Lindsey spent 20 years at the University of Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, where he led their sustainability research, education, and outreach efforts. In his roles there, he worked with hundreds of companies across multiple sectors to improve their sustainability performance. Prior to his work with the U of I, Dr. Lindsey was with Exxon for 7 years in the Powder River Basin at one of the world’s largest coal mining operations. He served Exxon in the roles of Reclamation Manager, Safety Director, and Senior Project manager where he supervised the activities of 40 contractors and over 1,000 personnel. He has authored multiple publications on energy efficiency, alternative energy, alternative fuels development, and sustainable business innovation and developed 3 U.S. patents regarding industrial fluids management and water purification. In January of 2016, Dr. Lindsey founded Highlander Innovation Inc., where he and his colleagues help businesses drive and implement more sustainable innovation.

He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Environmental Engineering from Southern Illinois University and a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois.