Curtis J. Crawford, Ph.D. Founder, President and CEO XCEO, Inc.
Enlighted Corporate Governance® and Extreme Personal Leadership®
“Because principled leadership requires action beyond obligation to earn share owner value.”
Dr. Crawford is Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of XCEO, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in personal leadership development and corporate governance products, services, and support. Prior to founding XCEO, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Onix Microsystems; a private photonics technology company that designed, manufactured, and sold MEMS based optical switching engines.
He previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of ON Semiconductor Corporation (ON, NASDAQ). Dr. Crawford played a key role in leading ON to a successful initial public offering (IPO) after separating this $2 billion division from Motorola Corporation in 1999. He also served as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Zilog Incorporated (ZLOG, NASDAQ) and Chairman of the Board of ISTAT Corporation (STAT, NASDAQ).
From 1997 to 1998, Dr. Crawford was Group President of the Microelectronics Group and President of the Intellectual Property division of Lucent Technologies. From 1995 to 1997, he was the President of the Microelectronics Group. Under his leadership, the business designed, manufactured, and sold semiconductors, electronic components, and power systems/supplies worldwide for applications in telecommunications, networked computing, multimedia, wireless and consumer electronics. Prior to the formation of Lucent Technologies, Dr. Crawford was President of AT&T Microelectronics, a business unit of AT&T Corporation. He previously was Vice President and Co-Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Microelectronics. Before joining the Microelectronics division, Dr. Crawford was Vice President of Sales, Service and Support for AT&T Computer Systems.
Fifteen years at International Business Machines (IBM) preceded Dr. Crawford's tenure with AT&T. He began his career at IBM as a systems engineer and through the years held a variety of sales, marketing, and executive management positions at various divisions of IBM. In his last IBM position, Vice President of Marketing, the National Distribution Division generated revenues more than $4.5 billion.
Dr. Crawford has always been attracted to individuals who are high performers, with high potential and high aspirations, to improve their positions to earn more power and influence during their career than most people dream possible in their lifetimes. He has committed his efforts to increasing the supply of qualified persons, who are enlightened & willing to assume the increasing risks and responsibilities, associated with serving their stakeholder(s) as dedicated Senior Executives and Board Members.
Since retiring from his board service, he has increased his collegiate philanthropic and strategic engagement. Dr. Crawford and his wife have launched several additional endowed funds to support college students who meet the criteria that have always motivated their support for previous endowed scholarships, which are high potential, high performance, and high aspirational students. Two of the new endowments include the Dr. Curtis J. & Mrs. Gina Crawford Institute for Business Technology Leadership at DePaul University in Chicago, designed to power students to lead at the intersection of business and technology. In partnership with DePaul's Driehaus College of Business and Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media, the institute equips students with leadership training, mentoring, and career-focused learning experiences. Spur cutting-edge research through faculty-led grants and professional development opportunities. Strengthening the bridge from academia to industry through hands-on projects and networking. Our goal: to empower students to achieve their ambitions and to thrive as ethical, innovative leaders.
The second strategic endowment is the Dr. Curtis J. and Mrs. Gina Crawford Honors College, at Joliet Jr. College, which is designed to help pave the way for a transformative chapter in the 101-year history as the oldest Junior college in the United States, emphasizing a shared commitment to elevating academic excellence and nurturing future leaders. The Crawford Honors College (CHC) is a distinguished community of scholars renowned for their academic excellence and leadership achievements. The CHC is tailored for those seeking a challenging academic experience, enriched with opportunities for advanced research, community engagement, and personal growth and development. This prestigious opportunity is truly intended for academically exceptional students who are seeking a rigorous educational experience. Graduates will be well-prepared to seamlessly transfer into honors colleges at four-year universities.
A graduate of Joliet Jr. College (JJC), in Joliet, Illinois, with an Associates in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Data Processing, he attended Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and a Master of Arts degree. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from the Charles H. Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University. Dr. Crawford earned his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Organization and Management from Capella University. In addition, Dr. Crawford has been awarded two Honorary Doctorate degrees. One was received from Governors State University in June of 1996, and one was received from the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications, and Information Services (CTI) at DePaul University in June of 1999. He was also recognized with the Alumni Award of Merit from the DePaul College of Commerce in 1998, and the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Joliet Jr. College in 2000. He was also the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Governors State University in 2021, and the Harry C. Smith Lifelong Learning Award, from Capella University in 2000.
Dr. Crawford previously served on the Board of Directors of The Chemours Company (CC, NYSE), Xylem Inc. (XYL, NYSE) and ON Semiconductor (ON, NASDAQ). He also previously served on the Board of Directors of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, ITT Corporation (ITT, NYSE), Agilysys Inc. (AGYS, NASDAQ), Lyondell Petrochemical Company (LYB, NYSE), and The Sisters of Mercy Health Corporation. He also served as a trustee of DePaul University.
In 2019, Dr. Crawford was recognized as a recipient of the 2019 Outstanding Directors award, presented by the Financial Times-Outstanding Directors Exchange, for the valuable institutional memory and strategic fortitude he has provided to ITT spin-out Xylem and Dupont spin-out Chemours, as well as his long-term leadership at ON Semiconductor. Nominated by his peers, Dr. Crawford has gone above and beyond the call of duty and has demonstrated judgment and integrity while acting in the interests of shareholders.
In November 2016, Dr. Crawford was inducted into the Consumer Technology Association Hall of Fame for his leadership role in establishing the Distinguished Digital High-Definition Television (HDTV) Grand Alliance. The CT Hall of Fame honors visionaries who have paved the way for the products and services that are changing the way we live. Individually, and in some cases together, these leaders have made significant contributions to the industry. Without them, the world would be a very different place.
Dr. Crawford is a NACD Fellow, and in 2011, he was awarded their highest honor, the Kenneth B. West Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) for his contribution to corporate governance and for having made a meaningful impact in the boardroom.
In 2000, while serving as Chairman, President, and CEO of Zilog, Inc., Dr. Crawford was awarded the Semico Bellwether Award, an honor bestowed on a selected company head, for notable contributions and achievements in the semiconductor industry, under the umbrella of grace and style.
Dr. Crawford is the author of three books; Corporate Rise: The X Principles of Extreme Personal Leadership, Compliance & Conviction: The Evolution of Enlightened Corporate Governance and Manager's Guide to Mentoring.
DISSERTATION:
The reform of corporate governance: Major trends in the United States corporate board room, 1977--1997 by Crawford, Curtis James, Capella University, 2000, 295 pages; (Publication ID: 3031933)
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