Charlie Crane the businessperson has worked for more than two decades making money for his clients. But along the way, a new person emerged—Charlie Crane the fundraiser, organizer, and exemplar. The gradual emergence is based on a powerful personal conviction: "In my mind," he says, "housing is a fundamental right for all." Now the two Cranes are accustomed to working as one, much to the benefit of his communities and Tuck itself.
Crane the businessperson started early. He told his high school classmates that he wanted to go not just to Dartmouth but to Tuck as well. He already knew. Before dorm-based businesses were commonplace, Crane ran an advertising firm for campus events as well as a stereo business. Neither took on Michael Dellian proportions, but in the fall of 1981, Crane did indeed enroll at Tuck.
After graduation, he worked first as an analyst for Oppenheimer & Co. and Prudential-Bache Securities, then joined Spears Benzak Salomon & Farrell, where he rose to become its managing partner. In 1995, SBSF sold to KeyCorp, with top management agreeing to stay for 10 years.
As that clock ran out, Crane and a colleague decided to strike out on their own with Scotsman Capital Management LLC, named for their Scottish ancestry. "The one thing I hadn't done on Wall Street," he says, "was start my own business." The boutique operation, with only six employees, is strong on personal connections. "We know all our clients or the intermediaries who brought them to us, and we want to keep it that way," says Crane.
"My first years on Wall Street, I kept my nose close to the grindstone and just worked, worked, worked," says Crane. "When I hit the 10-year mark in 1993, I knew it was time for something more." Service on the board of an organization that provides housing and services to New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS served as prelude to what has become a passion for Crane and his wife, Leisa. A part-time resident of Biddeford Pool, Maine, he joined the board of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland in 2000. While he secretly harbors the desire to spend more time swinging a hammer, Crane's work has been organizational and motivational. He and Leisa revived the organization's fund-raising event and continue to underwrite its costs. Last year, that event netted $73,000, the most ever. They have also funded a Habitat house in Maine. In recognition of their service and commitment, the organization's Spirit of Humanity award was renamed for the couple. "My role on the board is to keep thinking strategically—and optimistically," says Crane.
His interest in Habitat has grown to include Tuck, where members of the class of 2006 initiated a prematriculation Habitat program. "Charlie traveled to Hanover to encourage students and talk about the importance of using business skills to address society's needs," says Patricia Palmiotto, director of Tuck's Allwin Initiative for Corporate Citizenship. "It was a generous act so typical of him." He also volunteers his time as the newest member of the initiative's board and continues his service on the school's MBA advisory board.
"It feels great to be able to give something back to the school itself," he says. "I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't had the doors opened for me by my Tuck education. That's the honest truth."
