XCEO, Inc. President & CEO, Curtis J. Crawford, Ph.D. Recognized by the Financial Times - Outstanding Directors Exchange (FT-ODX)

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 7, 2019 (Newswire.com) - XCEO, Inc. announces that President and CEO, Curtis J. Crawford, Ph.D., has been recognized by the Financial Times’ Outstanding Directors Exchange (FT-ODX), as one of “2019’s Most Outstanding Directors."

Dr. Crawford exemplifies extraordinary leadership and dedication, encouraging boards to embrace the best practices in modern corporate governance, in his past and present directorships. Using his knowledge and decades of experience, Dr. Crawford mentors executives, directors and aspiring directors in pursuit of excellence, principled leadership and delivering exceptional shareholder value.

He is the Founder, President, and CEO of XCEO, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in personal leadership development and corporate governance products, services and support. Dr. Crawford and the XCEO team advise boards on topics, such as risk oversight and succession planning, and provide performance benchmarks and counsel to ensure a sustainable improvement in board performance.

Dr. Crawford has invested many years researching and writing about corporate governance and personal leadership and is well-respected as a published author on the subjects. With a deep understanding of board governance, a foundation of research and practical experience, Dr. Crawford provides an insider perspective into the current trends and opportunities in the modern boardroom.

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. 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 and Chairman of the Board of ISTAT Corporation. 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, and 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 in excess of $4.5 billion.

A graduate of Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, Dr. Crawford received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Computer Sciences 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.

Dr. Crawford currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Chemours Company, Xylem Inc., and ON Semiconductor. He previously served on the Board of Directors of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company, ITT Corporation, Agilysys Inc., Lyondell Petrochemical Company, 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 an 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 his latest title, "Manager's Guide to Mentoring."

Source: XCEO, Inc.