Editor’s note: We were so very sorry to hear that Susan Crank, CEO of Lunada Bay Corp., a former Op executive and former SIMA leader, passed away this week after a fight with cancer. Susan was an amazing, generous leader who mentored others and cared deeply about her company and employees. She was a loyal SES reader who helped us a lot when we first got started. We loved talking to her about her industry experience and how she built such a successful career. Our heart goes out to her family, her friends, and her colleagues.
Below is information from Lunada Bay about Susan’s career and accomplishments.
Susan Crank, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Lunada Bay Corporation, died on January 23rd in Newport Beach, California after battling cancer. She was 67.
Crank launched her apparel career with Ocean Pacific Swimwear Ltd., where she grew the division to $60 million. In 1987, she began her acclaimed role as Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of the Lunada Bay Corporation, where she would lead and grow the multi-million swimwear and activewear licensing company in Anaheim, California for almost 30 years.
Susan’s ability to lead with a strategic balance of creativity, business acuity, and a strong team spirit was key to the business’s survival in 2009. When most companies were simply trying to survive the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, Crank managed to grow the business with a conservative and creative game plan.
Barbara Brady, director of the International Swimwear/Activewear Market swim association remembered Susan as “one of the smartest business people out there.” Whether it was licensing or building a brand from the ground up — whatever she did, she did it wholeheartedly, and she did it well.
In 1999, Orange County Metro Magazine honored Crank as one of the “10 Women Making a Difference in Orange County.” The following year, she was named Environmentalist of the Year by SIMA.
Despite Crank’s personal accolades, she consistently credited her accomplishments to teamwork and the talented people surrounding her. She spread praise around the company like wildfire and attributed her employees for maintaining a well-rounded business. “I’ve got to tell you that I believe wholeheartedly in the fact that this company has got a heart and soul. It has a dedication to its product and its people,” Crank stressed. Susan’s faith in her employees was well known, thus it is no surprise that the average longevity of Lunada Bay’s employees is 10 years, 122% longer than the industry average.
The Laguna Beach resident had a strong reputation with retailers as well. She had a knack for spotting trends and delivering products effectively by staying abreast with trend forecasting in addition to adopting the latest innovations in technology. “Susan is the swimwear queen, period,” Mossimo Giannulli said.
Crank was honored at the 2004 Scholarship and Benefit Fashion Show with the Creative Vision Award, an honor of achievement given to individuals whose creative and entrepreneurial vision captures the spirit of the times and sets a benchmark for the future. Thereafter, she joined the Otis Board of Trustees as Vice Chair. She also chaired the Audit Committee and served on the Finance, Investment and Executive committees. “She was a strong advocate for the College and our mission, and we will miss her greatly,” stated Otis President Bruce W. Ferguson.
Determined to make a difference, Crank called philanthropy “so important and critical” and maintained involvement over the decades with both environmental and children’s initiatives. She was an active member on a number of boards, including the Just Say No Foundation, American Apparel Manufacturers Association, Surf Industry Manufacturers Association Environmental Fund, and the International Swim and Active Market Association. Most recently, she served as a vital member of the Board of CommerceWest Bank in Newport Beach.
Over the past three years, Crank supported Women Helping Women, a non-profit organization which provides unemployed and underemployed men and women the skills and resources needed to get and keep a good job. Rebecca Virtue, Design Director at Lunada Bay, remembered Crank as someone who greatly shaped her career as a designer: “Susan has paved the road for me and other women to be leaders in an industry dominated by men.”
Above all else, Susan will be remembered for an impact that went far beyond business. Her ability to recognize and embolden those around her was perhaps her most adored and memorable quality. Senior Vice President of Lunada Bay Corporation and Crank’s business partner for over 35 years, Patricia Osmanson, reflects on her dear friend: “There are so many things in life for which I am truly grateful but only a few so precious. Susan P. Crank was one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable.” Crank undoubtedly had an innate ability to positively influence those around her. Fred Fucci and Chuck Pinkow, both Vice Presidents of Sales at Lunada Bay Corporation, summed it up best: “Susan was an inspiration, a mentor, a role model, and most importantly she was family to us. She will live on in our hearts forever.”
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in her honor to her favorite charity, Furnishing Hope. Crank was proud to make a substantial commitment to Furnishing Hope and helped to create a nurturing environment for the recovery of our wounded military. Please visit www.FurnishingHope.org for more information on how you can help continue Crank’s selfless dedication to this community.
