Craig Bouchard | Source | Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board at Ecolution Power Co.

Craig is a Founder and Executive Chairman of Ecolution kWh, LLC. (www.ecokwh.com) Ecolution technology converts kinetic energy in moving vehicles into an electric micro-grid, in the process making a train station the e-mobility center of its town. The company’s patented intellectual property enables truck/trailers, trains, and subway cars to become a power plant transporting energy to where it is most needed.

Craig is a New York Times Best Selling author. “The Caterpillar Way. Lessons in Leadership, Growth and Shareholder Value” was released in October of 2013, reaching #1 on the Barnes & Noble Best Seller List, and #8 on the New York Times Best Seller list in the business category. James V. Koch was once again Craig’s co-author. (McGraw Hill.)

Craig founded three companies that achieved roughly $1 billion of revenue within 18 months. His companies completed 12 acquisitions of metals companies and he has won three hostile proxy contests. Craig was a finalist for the prestigious Platts S&P “CEO of the Year” award in the global metals industries for the year 2018.

In 2004, Craig co-founded Esmark Inc., a company that acquired nine steel companies, including the celebrated hostile takeover of Wheeling Pittsburgh Corporation on its way to becoming the fourth largest American steel company. Craig innovated the first hostile reverse tender merger in Wall Street history in 2007 when the Wheeling Pitt board and executive management team were removed at its annual shareholder meeting.

Esmark revenues grew from $4 million in 2003 to $3.5 billion in 2008. The company was sold in 2008 for $1.25 billion. That year, Esmark (ESMK) became the highest appreciating stock on either the Nasdaq or NYSE (for the full year). The story is chronicled in “America For Sale, How the Foreign Pack Circled and Devoured Esmark.” Copyright 2009 Craig T. Bouchard and James V. Koch, (ABC-CLIO.)

Craig founded Real Industry, Inc., (then called Signature Group Holdings) in June 2013 after leading a proxy battle to remove the company’s board. This was Craig’s third successful hostile on Wall Street. The company grew from $40 million of annual revenue in 2013 to roughly $1.3 billion and joined the NASDAQ under Craig’s stewardship.

From 1998-2003, Craig was the President and Chief Executive Officer of New York-based NumeriX, a risk management software company commanding a lead market share on Wall Street in the valuation of complex derivative instruments.

Prior to helping found NumeriX, Craig was a Senior Vice President at the First National Bank of Chicago, (now JPM/Chase). His career there spanned 19 years. In the 150-year history of the bank, Craig was the 3rd youngest individual to rise to the level of Senior Vice President. He was the Head of Asia Pacific, living in Hong Kong and Tokyo, and later became The Global Head of Derivative Trading and Quantitative Research.

Craig holds a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University (1975), a master’s degree in Economics from Illinois State University (1977), an Honorary Doctor of Science from Illinois State University, and an MBA from the University of Chicago (1981). Craig has been a member of the Board of Trustees of Boston University and the Foundation of the University of Montana. He is currently a member of the leadership board of the Department of Athletics, Duke University. Craig is an alumnus of Leadership Greater Chicago and was a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award (Illinois) in 2005.