K.C. Crain

Notable work and positions

Crain Communications Inc. — President and Chief Executive Officer (2020– )
Automotive News — Reporter (early career)
Board chair, Detroit Children's Fund; board member, Young Presidents' Organization and College for Creative Studies

Biography

K.C. Crain is the third-generation leader of Crain Communications, the family-owned Detroit business-to-business publishing company founded by his great-grandfather G.D. Crain Jr. in 1916. He began his career as a reporter for Automotive News, one of the company's flagship titles, before moving through roles including group publisher, vice president, director of corporate operations, and executive vice president. He was named president and chief operating officer of Crain Communications, and in November 2020 was elevated to president and chief executive officer, succeeding his father, chairman Keith E. Crain, in the company's day-to-day leadership. As CEO, Crain has overseen the acquisition of new titles including GenomeWeb, expanded Crain's platforms into new digital formats, and refined an audience-first subscription strategy that has tripled subscription revenue since 2016. Crain Communications' portfolio includes Automotive News, Ad Age, and city business publications such as Crain's Detroit Business, Crain's Chicago Business, Crain's Cleveland Business, and Crain's New York Business, spanning roughly two dozen titles across North America, Europe, and Asia. Crain earned a B.A. in communications from Denison University and is active in Detroit civic and economic-development initiatives, serving as board chair of the Detroit Children's Fund and on the boards of the Young Presidents' Organization and the College for Creative Studies.