Officials: Newly-hired Forward Janesville CEO dies after motorcycle crash in Illinois

Jun. 29—JANESVILLE — Recently-hired Forward Janesville CEO Michael Osborne has died days after he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in Illinois last week, officials said.

The Kane County Coroner's Office confirmed that Osborne, 50, of Batavia, died shortly after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva, Illinois.

Osborne's hiring was announced by Forward Janesville on June 23. Hours after the local chamber of commerce's announcement, Osborne was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle, Batavia police said. Osborne had been named as the successor for longtime Forward Janesville CEO John Beckord, who plans to retire.

An official with the Kane County Coroner's Office told The Gazette that as of Tuesday afternoon, and pending an ongoing investigation, the coroner's office did not have details about the exact cause of Osborne's death.

Batavia police said Osborne had been riding a Harley-Davidson sport motorcycle on an arterial road in Batavia at about 10:45 p.m. on June 23.

He tried to brake to avoid an oncoming car which veered into his lane. Police said while braking, Osborne came off the motorcycle and hit the side of the motor vehicle driven by an unidentified woman.

On the fundraising site GoFundMe, posts by friends claiming to be speaking on behalf of the Osborne family said Obsorne was severely injured at the scene of the crash but medics revived him.

GoFundMe posts indicated Osborne was hospitalized with "brain swelling" and several broken bones. He'd been placed on a respirator because he'd been "unable to breathe on his own," according to the posts.

One Forward Janesville official, Oakleigh Ryan, said Forward Janesville officials are grappling with the tragedy of Osborne's death.

Ryan had led a Forward Janesville panel that had screened CEO candidates, including Osborne, during a yearlong national search. Ryan said the death of the newly-named CEO has been a shock.

She said Obsorne's death has left leaders of the chamber in shock, but that the "tragedy is with Mike's family."

Osborne's hiring was unanimously recommended by Forward Janesville's CEO search panel, officials said. He had an extensive background in the manufacturing industry, with long stints at General Motors and Ford factories in Canada before moving to the U.S. to take on executive leadership roles in manufacturing.

More recently, Osborne had been a partner a national investment and consulting firm based in Illinois where he'd worked on mergers and acquisitions of small and midsize businesses.

In a post on Osborne's GoFundMe page, a friend said Osborne was a "loving husband, father, grandfather and great friend. Mike has always treated his friends like family, no matter if he's known you for a minute or for years."

Janesville Gazette Publisher Orestes Baez, a Forward Janesville member who was involved in the chamber's CEO search, said Osborne was "instantly genuine, smart and engaging."

"I believe he would have helped Janesville move to the next level. I am personally saddened beyond belief by what has transpired. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family during such a difficult time," Baez said.

Ryan said Osborne had left an impression on those in Janesville who met him.

"In a really short time, we'd gotten to know Mike, and we knew he was going to be an amazing fit for Janesville," Ryan said. "Mike showed up with his ... farm background. Being from Canada, he'd played hockey; he seemed amazing in his GM auto industry background and his roll-up-his sleeves attitude .... It's as if we've lost a friend that we haven't known long."

Ryan said that Forward Janesville's current CEO, John Beckord, plans to remain at the helm of the chamber until Aug. 31, at which time Forward Janesville will name an "interim" CEO. She said the chamber is in talks with a Madison search firm, but the chamber hasn't yet launched a second search for a new CEO.

Police said alcohol is suspected to have played a role in the crash, but toxicology reports could take weeks to process. In the mean time, police have issued no citations or made an arrest.

Police officials in Batavia and at the Kane County Sheriff's Office told The Gazette that said the crash remains under what likely will be a weeks-long investigation by police detectives and a crash reconstruction team.