John F. Rockart
Director
MIT Center for Information
Systmes Research
October 19, 1999
To Whom it May Concern.
I would heartily recommend Rick Crandall as an advisor in many areas of organizations and information technology. Rick has a distinguished record as a strategist in the field a technology innovator, and as someone who can lead organizational implementation of new technology. At the present time, he is deep into the now emergent field of e-business both from a technology and a managerial viewpoint.
Rick is known to me primarily from my role on Comshare’s Board of Directors. I have thus worked with Rick for more than a decade and continue to be impressed by his capabilities. In his role as CEO of Comshare, he led the company through two major almost complete changes in its core business. Not only did he conceive these major changes, but he was also instrumental in effecting the fundamental transformations of the entire company, which were necessary.
Rick’s major suite is undoubtedly his deep insight into the future of the technology and its use. He comes by this not only through his native intelligence and historical understanding of the technology, but also through his wide set of contacts throughout the industry. Rick has an understanding of the state of the technology in many of the key technology-innovating laboratories in the US. He has brought this knowledge to Comshare, both as CEO and now as Director, several times to Comshare’s great advantage.
In addition to this technology capability, I can highly recommend Rick for the managerial issues of strategy, marketing and operational management. As a former CEO, and a good one, he will make an excellent advisor to any CEO in the field. For the past few years, he has played this role with Dennis Ganster, the current CEO of Comshare, very effectively. As you know, this is unusual. Most ex-CEOs do not do well as advisors to those who succeed them. This is a testimony to Rick’s people skills as well as his technology knowledge.
In closing, Rick is a “good guy” to work with. It has been a pleasure to write this letter.
Regards,
John F. Rockart