Fred Crawford is the Chief Executive Officer of AlixPartners. He is an internationally-recognized strategist and operations restructuring specialist who has worked with a wide variety of global companies. He also serves as co-head of the firm’s Performance Improvement practice globally, where he was instrumental in driving the unit’s rapid growth in recent years.
Prior to joining AlixPartners in 2004, Crawford led executive functions and global business units at other private and publicly-held professional services firms. He previously served as the chief sales, marketing and strategic planning officer for North America at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (now Capgemini) and as executive vice president and managing director of that firm’s $1.6 billion Global Consumer Products, Retail and Distribution practice.
Fred's experience as a consultant and practitioner spans the value chain. He has led some of the firm’s most successful client engagements, including serving as chief restructuring officer of a major global retailer where he helped improve operating earnings 70% and add $2.7 billion to shareholder value.
Fred has also assisted dozens of retailers and manufacturers in brand, channel, and consumer strategies. Representative clients in this area include Royal Dutch Ahold, Gerber, Hewlett Packard, Coca Cola, General Mills, Procter & Gamble, FEDEX, Wal-Mart, Federated Department Stores, Kroger, Disney, Nike, Limited Brands, American Greetings, Best Buy, British American Tobacco, Michelin, Lowes, and Borders.
Fred also authors the annual AlixPartners 2008 Consumer Sentiment IndexSM, a global consumer-attitude survey that has important, broad-reaching ramifications for all businesses who sell to or serve consumers.
Fred is a recognized thought leader, co-authoring The Myth of Excellence, a Business Week and New York Times best seller that details his research on consumer motivation and corporate strategic response. He is a highly sought-after speaker for industry events and a frequent contributor to business and trade publications.
Fred holds an MBA with a concentration in management and administration from Indiana University. He has bachelor's degrees in operations management and psychology from Michigan State University.