Lee Crump: Paying It Forward

by Jeff Bond

As the CEO of Chat With Leaders Media and Executive Partner at People-First Elevation Team, I lead a dedicated team specializing in thought leadership development, stakeholder engagement, and effective global communication. We excel in producing corporate podcasts, meetings, and events to drive customer and team member acquisition, retention, and engagement. Additionally, we provide speaker coaching to empower thought leaders within our clients' organizations.

My approach is grounded in Conscious Capitalism, fostering leaders with a values-driven, pro-capitalism perspective. I firmly believe in business's transformative power, not only as a commercial venture but as a catalyst for lasting social and generational impact.

Beyond my professional role, I cherish my most significant leadership role as a father to three children, alongside my wife Katie. This personal aspect deeply influences my professional path, aligning my business strategies with family values, faith, and community service in Atlanta, GA.

Lee W. Crump is the Managing Partner of The Crump Group, LLC, a Memphis-based Management and IT Consultancy. Previously he served 12 years as the CIO and Group Vice President of Rollins, Inc., an Atlanta-based Pest Control holding company with 14,000+ employees worldwide and $2.2 Billion in annual revenue. Prior to joining Rollins in 2009, he served as CIO of Terminix, Inc., the largest and most profitable ServiceMaster subsidiary, located in Memphis, TN.

At Rollins, Crump reported to the Vice-Chair & CEO. During his 12-year tenure as CIO, he saw revenue double from $1.07B to $2.16B. The profit margin increased from 11.6% to 16.7%. Rollins stock had a CAGR of 23% and four 3/2 stock splits during this period. Crump was responsible for I.T., the Program Management Office, the Field Administrative Support Group, and was a member of the Rollins Executive Steering Committee. He served as the Rollins United Way Executive Sponsor and led the Rollins United Way Campaign each fall where the company and its employees contributed over $1.3 M annually to United Way.

At Terminix, Crump reported to the President and CEO. During his 10-year tenure as CIO, he saw revenue double from $600M to $1.2B. The profit margin increased from 11.0% to 17.5%. He was responsible for I.T. and the Six Sigma program, serving as the Six Sigma Executive Deployment Champion directing the efforts of six Black Belts.

Mr. Crump holds the PMP credential from the Project Management Institute and has a long track record of successfully delivering major systems implementations. He has spent over 48 years in IT, equally divided between IT Executive Management and IT Business Consulting.

While in Atlanta Mr. Crump served five years as the Board Chair for Year-Up Greater Atlanta and was a member of the Board of Directors for PowerMyLearning where he was Resource Development Committee Chair. He served on the Advisory Boards of the GeorgiaCIO Association where he is Board Chair Emeritus, and the Association of Technology Professionals (ATP). He is a past Board Member of Georgia Junior Achievement and CHRIS Kids. He was a volunteer and mentor for Pathbuilders Achieva, as well as Year-Up Greater Atlanta.

He is a member of the GeorgiaCIO Association, the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Technology Association of Georgia, (TAG), the Association of Telecommunications Professionals (ATP), and the Society of Information Managers (SIM) and American Mensa.

In 2012, Crump was named “Global CIO of the Year” by the GeorgiaCIO Association. In 2013 he received the Year-Up Urban Empowerment Award. In 2019, Rollins IT received the “CIO100 Award for Innovation”. In 2020 he was named the HMG Strategy “Global IT Leaders Who Matter” and in 2021 received the Global Leadership Institute Award.

Chat Highlights

What are a few of the biggest lessons you’ve learned about human behavior as you reflect on your career? How has that shaped your plans as you move forward into this next chapter or retirement and consulting?
When did you realize your calling as a servant to your community and how has your experience working with so many amazing non-profit organizations edified your life?
With respect to the issues we face in America around the shrinking middle-class, what are ways that leaders should use their influence to ensure we’re not leaving people behind?
Given that you’ve worked hard and received an abundance of resources, why has paying it forward become such a cornerstone of your purpose?

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