Crauford, former head of commercial planning at Heathrow airport, replaces Kylie Andrews, who has joined the airport’s digital team.
His appointment comes after the Heathrow Express franchise was extended through to 2028.
Among his key tasks will be overseeing the introduction of Heathrow Express’ new fleet by December 2019.
He will head up teams responsible for Heathrow Express’ digital platforms, its marketing and communications functions, and its sales team, as well as the B2B sales and distribution team which manages relationships with commercial partners.
Crauford said he was joining Heathrow Express at an important moment in its history.