Crown Worldwide Group has announced the death of its former CEO Ken Madrid. Ken died following a period of illness and shortly after he retired from the role he had held for 32 years.

Paying tribute, Jim Thompson, Chairman & Founder, Crown Worldwide Group, said: “Ken has had a lasting impact on our industry, and on so many colleagues at Crown. I worked alongside him in our Hong Kong office for three decades, during which time he was not only an outstanding colleague and leader, but a close friend. I will miss him dearly. It is testament to his dedication and loyalty that he had hoped to recover from illness and resume his role at the company, only announcing his intention to retire when it became clear a return to work would be impossible. It is most upsetting that he passed away so soon after making that decision. At this difficult time, our thoughts are with his family.”

Ken’s career spanned 47 years, many of those years as a senior Board member, including as global CFO and CEO for Asia-Pacific. He was appointed Group CEO in January 2019, successfully steering the company through the pandemic and the economic challenges that followed.

On his retirement his position as CEO was taken by Jennifer Harvey.  Jennifer joined Crown in 1993 from investment bank Shearson Lehman Brothers. She has held several key positions, including sales management roles in the USA, Singapore and Japan, global marketing director and director of Corporate Social Responsibility. She was appointed regional managing director of North America in January 2016, before joining the Executive Board in October 2016. Most recently, Jennifer has held the post of CEO, Americas.

Jim Thompson commented: “Jennifer joined Crown 30 years ago and will bring about continuity through an intrinsic knowledge of the company and our customers, having worked across the business, in various roles and locations during her tenure. In recent years, she has provided significant strategic direction to the Group through her role on the Executive Board. With the support of the Board and our Executive Leadership Team, I am excited for the continuing success of our great company.”

Jennifer Harvey, CEO, Crown Worldwide Group, said: “Thanks to Ken’s leadership and diligence over the last few years, our company is in a strong position to weather the current economic headwinds. Ken’s work has produced a company that is fitter and set up to make faster and more sustainable decisions. I’m honoured to be taking on this role and look forward to working closely with our robust leadership team and employees all over the world to best serve our clients. Throughout its 60-year history, Crown has never stood still. We have evolved, diversified, and grown, addressing challenges head-on. And that will continue as we move forward, with the goal of making it simpler to live, work, and do business anywhere in the world.”

Photos:  Ken Madrid and Jennifer Harvey.