Rob Crane is the Technology Scouting and Venturing Lead for ExxonMobil, where he has spent 28 years advancing high-impact technologies from concept to commercialization. His leadership roles have spanned research, engineering, manufacturing, new business development, and strategy. Rob holds a BS in chemical engineering from Cornell and a PhD from Purdue. He has 17 granted U.S. patents. Two of his inventions led to commercialized processes and his leadership contributed to multiple others.
Rob is a past chair of Purdue’s Chemical Engineering Industrial Advisory Board and a recipient of Purdue’s Outstanding Chemical Engineer Award. He has served as President of the Board of Directors of United Way of Hunterdon County, NJ, and he has developed research partnerships globally, serving on boards including CISTAR and EPIXC. Rob is passionate about mentoring and inspiring the next generation of chemical engineers through seminars, guest lectures, and professional relationships around the world. He is also a former Ironman competitor and an active sponsor of ExxonMobil’s employee resource communities.