Chris Crawford
Founder & Chairman
In 2000, Chris founded ClearPath. He wanted to get away from the mixed agendas of the corporate world where people seemed too focused on lining their own wallets instead of doing what was right for the business and its customers. Too often, he was faced with agendas and motives that conflicted with his core values.
Prior to founding ClearPath, Chris was CFO and VP Operations of The North Face, which at the time was a public company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Before The North Face, he was Chief Administrative Officer and Operational CFO for CFM-Majestic, a company publicly traded in Canada. Prior to that, Chris was CFO and In-House Legal Counsel at Vermont Castings, a manufacturer of heating appliances based in Vermont. During Chris’ tenure there, the company grew from $35M in sales and near bankruptcy to becoming a highly successful $65M business that was ultimately acquired twice and became part of $225M CFO-Majestic, bringing significant returns to shareholders. Additional experience includes five years as a member of an M&A Advisory Services team at $2.6B PacifiCorp Financial Services and five years in Corporate Audit for $13B PacifiCorp, a public company based in Portland, Oregon. Along the way, Chris earned his CPA at Arthur Andersen in Los Angeles and his J.D. at Lewis and Clark School of Law in Portland. Combined with his time as CEO of ClearPath, Chris has been a part of over 160 successfully closed M&A transactions – both on the buy-side and sell-side – and an additional 150+ M&A projects.
Chris is extremely involved in non-profit and philanthropy work. He is a very active volunteer at Blue Oaks Church and the Treasurer and Board Member for Teen Esteem, a non-profit focused on helping kids in the East Bay. He is also an active fundraiser for the National MS Society and a participant in the annual Bike MS event. Previously, Chris acted as a Board Member and treasurer for the Red Window Project and Board Chairman for Blue Oaks Church.
The part of his life that makes Chris most proud is his role as a father to his two girls, both Oregon Ducks, Jessica and Sarah.
Certifications
B.A. Accounting, Cal State University, Northridge
JD, Lewis & Clark Law School, Portland, OR
CPA license, inactive
Oregon Bar/Law license, inactive
M&A transactions completed: 150
M&A projects advised: 300+
C titles held prior to ClearPath: CFO, VP Operations, In-House Legal Counsel
❝I love what we do. And I love who we get to work with. We have a business model, compensation structure, and set of core values that provide maximum assurance that we will do the right thing for our clients. We have to earn our spot in the inner circle, and we respect that position very much. To help our clients achieve success on their terms is, personally, very fulfilling. And I love working with my ClearPath team. Each member of our team truly lives our core values – at work and at home. This is very special, and I am proud to be a part.❞
