Great Dane CEO and President Bill Crown has announced his intention to step away from his day-to-day activities as company President, while retaining the role of CEO. Effective October 1, 2013, Dean Engelage (pictured), Great Dane's EVP of Sales and Strategic Planning, will succeed Crown as the company President.
Engelage's appointment is part of a managed executive transition which has been coordinated by Bill Crown and the Great Dane executive management team over the past year. Crown, who assumed the President position when Phillip Pines retired in 2010, will continue to be actively involved in the company as CEO going forward.
“Leading the Great Dane organization has been a rewarding experience,” said Crown. “The Great Dane team has built a great business and we are well positioned to go forward from a position of strength. I look forward to working closely with Dean and am confident he will continue to lead the organization to new heights. Our shared vision and values provide a solid foundation from which we will continue to execute our growth strategy and drive toward long-term value for our customers.”
“I am delighted to take up my new role as President of Great Dane,” said Engelage, who joined Great Dane in 2011 as Executive Vice President of Sales and Strategic Planning. “I look forward to working with our dedicated employees to further the Company's market leadership and growth by bringing new levels of innovation, customer experience and value to the marketplace.”
Prior to Great Dane, Engelage worked for American Airlines and General Dynamics in marketing, purchasing and finance, and most recently spent more than 16 years with Great Dane's parent company, CC Industries, in various management positions. Dean began his career with CC Industries in 1996 in the marketing department of Woodard, a Crown-owned furniture company, ultimately becoming President in 2004.
After Woodard was sold in 2008, Dean worked on the Johnson Truck Bodies and Trail King acquisitions and also managed the Crown's Asia operations. Today he retains an oversight role of the Crown's Asia operations in both the furniture and transportation industries.
Dean is a graduate of Texas A&M University and has a Master's degree in Finance.