Gary Crittenden

Gary Lewis Crittenden
Born	1953 Ogden, Utah, U.S.
Occupation	Finance executive
Years active	1970s–present
Known for	Executive director at HGGC; former CEO and chairman of HGGC; former CFO of Citigroup and American Express; board member of multiple major corporations

Gary Lewis Crittenden (born 1953) is a seasoned American finance executive. Currently, he serves as an executive director at HGGC, having formerly held the positions of CEO and chairman there. His leadership experience also includes chairing Citi Holdings and holding senior roles at Citadel, Power Holdings, and iQor. Crittenden has acted as lead independent director for Pluralsight and has been a board member for Extra Space Storage, Staples Inc., Ryerson, Inc., TJX Companies, and Utah Capital Investment Corp. Between 2000 and 2007, he was executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) at American Express; subsequently, from March 2007 until March 2009, he served as CFO at Citigroup.

Early life and education

Raised in Ogden, Utah, Crittenden was elected student body president at Ogden High School in 1971. Following a two-year mission for the LDS Church in Germany, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in management from BYU's Marriott School of Management in 1976, then earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1979.

Career

Crittenden launched his professional journey as a consultant with Bain and Company, focusing on strategic initiatives across the United States and Germany. He later took on the role of CFO and executive vice president at Melville Corp., where he directed the company's division into three separate entities, significantly increasing its stock market value. His career progressed with CFO appointments at Sears Roebuck and Company (1997–1998) and then at Monsanto Company (1998–2000), where he led acquisitions of seed businesses including DeKalb Genetics Corporation and Delta and Pine Land Company. He was instrumental in Monsanto’s subsequent sale to Pharmacia & Upjohn. Prior to joining Citigroup, Crittenden served as executive vice president and CFO at American Express, overseeing its Global Network Services segment.

In 2007, Crittenden assumed the CFO position at Citigroup. Amid the Great Recession, he directed the bank’s financial restructuring by eliminating 75,000 positions and shrinking its asset base by roughly $500 billion. In 2010, Citigroup resolved SEC allegations concerning disclosure inaccuracies related to subprime mortgage exposure without Crittenden admitting any fault.

April 2012 marked Crittenden’s appointment as CEO of Huntsman Gay Global Capital (HGGC). Within his initial year, he managed the divestiture of Power Holdings—a utilities services company—to Kelso & Co. for $380 million. Under HGGC’s stewardship, Power Holdings expanded its utility crews from around 90 to over 200. In 2013, following co-founder Richard Lawson’s transition to CEO, Crittenden became chairman of HGGC. He spearheaded the launch of Fund II, aiming for investments in companies with revenues exceeding $100 million, enterprise values between $100 million and $500 million, and EBITDA surpassing $15 million.

In December 2013, Crittenden oversaw HGGC portfolio company Citadel Plastics’ acquisition of Lucent Polymers, bolstering its global standing in engineered resins with access to more than 1,400 formulations. This transaction represented Citadel’s seventh acquisition since 2007 and HGGC’s 31st overall. Crittenden highlighted growth through targeted acquisitions and successful integration of synergistic businesses.

As chairman of iQor—a New York-based business process outsourcing firm—Crittenden led the January 2014 acquisition of Jabil Circuit’s aftermarket services division for $725 million. This deal propelled iQor’s revenues beyond $1.5 billion and expanded its workforce to over 31,000 employees across sixteen countries, strengthening both its global reach and financial capacity.

Throughout his extensive career, Crittenden has held board positions with numerous corporations including Filene's Basement, Wilson's Leather, Sears of Mexico, Sears Canada, Ryerson, Inc., TJX Companies (the parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls), Staples, and Primerica. Additionally, he chairs the boards of HGGC portfolio firms Power Holdings, iQor, and Citadel.

Personal life

Crittenden is married to Catherine Jean Cox, and together they have three children. He is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and completed a two-year missionary assignment in Germany. Throughout his service, he has held significant leadership positions such as bishop, stake president of the Yorktown New York Stake, and area seventy. In 2017, he was appointed managing director of the LDS Church's Missionary Department.

Awards and honors

• Received an honorary doctorate from Weber State University in 2003
• Recognized as one of Institutional Investor's Best CFOs in America in both 2004 and 2006