Dee McCrorey

My Story: Four Decades Connecting the Dots

1970s-1990s: The Semiconductor YearsI began my career in the semiconductor industry as the digital revolution was just beginning. Working at the foundation of the tech economy, I watched technology fundamentally reshape not just business, but culture and society itself. Those years taught me something crucial: the real challenge isn't the technology—it's helping people and organizations adapt to what it changes.2011: Translating Insight into ActionI wrote my book to capture what I'd learned about innovation, transformation, and leadership in times of rapid change. The message resonated with executives at Intel, Deakin University, and Indiana University because it wasn't theory—it was practical guidance drawn from decades on the front lines of technological disruption.2025 and Beyond: The AI EraNow we're at another inflection point. AI is transforming work itself, and once again, I'm focused on the human side of the equation. Through my Substack newsletter, The Relevance Project™ leadership toolkits, and upcoming podcast, I'm helping leaders and teams prepare for a fundamentally different future—one where adaptability isn't optional, it's essential.The technology keeps changing. My mission stays the same: helping people navigate transformation and thrive through it.

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Writer / Publisher

In early 2025, I launched my Substack newsletter—bringing four decades of tech industry experience directly to leaders and career professionals navigating the AI transformation.I write from two perspectives:Inside/Out (A Bridge to AI): Practical strategies for the workplace. How do you lead teams, build skills, and stay relevant when AI is fundamentally changing the nature of work? This is where my years inside big tech meet the daily reality leaders face today.Outside/In (The AI Inflection Point): The bigger picture. How is AI reshaping our lives through four global forces—economically, culturally, politically, and socially? This is where I connect the dots between technology and its human impact, the work I've been doing since my semiconductor days.Whether you're a leader trying to prepare your team or simply someone trying to make sense of this moment, I'm writing for you.Subscribe to my newsletter.

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Seeing Around Corners

In 2011, I published Innovation in a Reinvented World: 10 Essential Elements to Succeed in the New World of Business (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)Looking back fourteen years later, what strikes me most is how Part 1 reads like a warning signal for the AI era we're living through now. I wasn't predicting AI specifically—I was identifying the patterns of disruption, the pressures on traditional business models, the necessity of continuous adaptation. The same forces, amplified.What I'm saying now:My Substack newsletter, A Bridge to AI, picks up where the book left off—but with higher stakes. We're not just talking about innovation and adaptation anymore. We're talking about the fundamental transformation of work itself.The next 3-5 years are going to be messy. The organizations and individuals who thrive will be the ones who face this future clear-eyed, reinvent what isn't working, and build on what does.That's what I've been preparing people for since the 1970s. That's what I'm still doing today.

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What Leaders Said Then...

“ This book is a must-read for game-changing business executives, managers, and entrepreneurs. Dee McCrorey clearly presents proven, practical steps for surviving and thriving in our fast and ever-changing economic environment. Readers will find the Best Practices interviews with successful business leaders to be insightful and an invaluable resource that can help guide the reinvention and transformation of their management practices and company. ”–DENNIS REKER, Former director of Worldwide Acquisitions and New Business Development, Intel Corporation“ A must read’ book for anyone aspiring to leadership in the coming decade. While written through an American lens, the lessons provided in this thought-provoking book are equally applicable around the world. ”– Dr. Annemieke Craig, Director, Work Integrated Learning, Faculty of Business & Law at Deakin University“ Dee McCrorey provides a compelling blueprint for reinvigorating the innovative advantage of companies and other organizations. If business and policy leaders heed the straightforward road map for business success posited in this important new book, her unique insights may trigger a new golden era for American innovative leadership. ”– Dr. DAVID B. AUDRETSCH, Distinguished Professor and Ameritech Chair of Economic Development, Indiana University, author The Entrepreneurial Society

Narrative-Driven, Limited Series Podcast Coming in 2026

Before I wrote about transformation, before I built tools for the AI era—I lived it on the factory floor.Seeing Through Silicon takes you inside the semiconductor fabs of the 1970s-90s, during tech's "Wild West" era. This is where I started my career, and where I first witnessed how technology transforms not just industries, but human lives.The untold story: The predominantly female workforce who powered Silicon Valley's rise. Their voices were rarely heard, but their struggles, resilience, and dignity shaped everything that came after—including the ethical questions we're grappling with today as AI reshapes work once again.Why this matters now: As AI and automation redefine the modern workforce, these early fab workers' experiences offer urgent lessons about trust, identity, and the human cost of progress. Their stories aren't just history—they're a mirror for what's happening right now.This podcast is where my journey began. It's also why I'm so committed to helping today's workforce navigate what's coming next.

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