High Five: Five Questions For Michael McCloskey, CEO Of FrontRange SolutionsHigh Five: Five Questions For Michael McCloskey, CEO Of FrontRange Solutions

Photograph by Jeffrey Newbury

1

CRM, MEET VOIP
Not too long ago, companies had a negative impression of CRM. "They weren't getting the value out of the huge systems they were deploying." Since then, the CRM market has consolidated, and the remaining players are branching out to deliver new features, including integrated VoIP capabilities.

2

BAJA BIKING
McCloskey promotes a youthful culture at FrontRange. He and several other employees took their sons to Mexico's Baja California peninsula to ride motorcycles on the same trail used for the Baja 1000 off-road race. "We all wanted to get out and have fun with our sons because when you're working so much, you don't get to see them as much."

3

LESS CONTROL
Preparing for the Baja trip wasn't easy, considering the terrain is much different than in the Bay Area. "Driving down in Baja, you have to ride on top of the sand. If you try to control the bike too much, you crash."

4

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
McCloskey puts his experiences to good use by working with his sons' schools to create businesses that the students manage. Working with kids "reminded me that when you come up with a business plan, it may be 90% right, but you still have to make midcourse corrections. You have to collaborate and accept other ideas."

5

DO THE RIGHT THING
The students with whom McCloskey works donate their profits to local charities. "The kids feel proud of themselves when they give the money away. At first they wanted to keep it, but once we talked it out, they knew it was the right thing to do."