Professional highlights
- Amp Incorporated (now TE Connectivity) – Managed AMP’s GM accounts in Ohio, Delco Air, Delco Products, Delco Moraine, Inland, Frigidaire, responsibilities included connectors, subsystems, switches, fiber optics and other products for Amp’s largest auto-machine accounts.
- Molex – Marketing Manager Data Division – lead the McKinsey restructuring team to restructure Molex from a product focused company into a customer based company, directed the company away from consumer durables to professional electronics (computer, telecom, datacom), created the Data Division, developed the product that remains their #1 seller over 20 years later, grew sales from $90M to over $2B, with the Data Division doing 20%+ net profit, won numerous company awards.
- Crane Electronics (now Crane Connectors) – founder, President, developed and sold electronics components and subsystems for the military, telecom, datacom and computers, the company is still profitable over 30+ years later and left to create Compass.
- Compass – single-handedly developed the world’s most advanced connector system and sold multi-million dollar licenses to 3M, LG and Litton (acquired by Northrop Grumman).
- The Panda Project – founder, CEO, created the world’s best personal computers and servers, was the #1 IPO of 1996, disrupted the market so much that the company ran afoul of Intel and Microsoft, was the victim of a stock manipulation scheme aided by illegal activities of a major bracket firm forcing the sale of the company to a Silicon Valley venture firm in 1999, but saw no positive return on stock due to a series of missteps by the management team installed by the venture capitalists, never equaling the sales achieved by Panda.
- Founded NewGuard Entertainment Corp in 2006 to develop content for the changing media landscape. The premier property developed and ready for full launch is World Moto Clash, on track for a $1B+ valuation.
- Founded the Silicon Valley Incubator to launch large scale firms in hardware, entertainment content and consumer products.
- In 2015, Crane founded the Cyber Security Incubator when he realized unless the industry started doing a better job, none of the internet would matter and much of our military might wouldn’t either.
Achievements
- Over 100 patents granted (see attachment) in computer architecture, semiconductor technology, robotics, thermodynamics and interconnect technology.
- Won the ID Magazine and International Design Yearbook annual design awards.
- Products designed by Crane have been displayed at the San Francisco MOMA, the Metropolitan Museum and the Modern Museum in Bremen, Germany.
- Won product and marketing awards at Comdex, CeBIT, PC Expo and the Consumer Electronics show.
- Jean Novell picked a Crane computer design as one of the top science/art object in the world.
- Crane has been interviewed on NPR, CNBC, NBC and CNN regarding technology and products.
- An accomplished Superbike racer and team owner for over 30 years, consistently finishing high up in the national standings.
- Formerly High-Performance editor for BMW News.
- Currently developing several TV and film properties associated with World Moto Clash.
- Crane was an accomplished guitar player and DJ at Washington & Lee University radio while studying electrical engineering and playing varsity athletics at the Virginia Military Institute.
- He has also developed a TV series, Vultures in the Valley, which is currently being developed for ITV Global.