Ruan CEO Named U.S. Chamber’s Vice Chairman
This story appears in the June 21 print edition of Transport Topics.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce elected John Ruan III, chairman and chief executive officer of Ruan Transportation Management Systems, as vice chairman of its board of directors, the group announced June 9.
Thomas Donohue, president of the Chamber, said that Ruan “brings a wealth of experience in corporate management and governance to the Chamber.”
“In these challenging times, experienced leadership like John’s is vital to helping the business community and Americans to get back on their feet,” he said.
“The key to improving our current economic situation rests on the prosperity of business,” Ruan said. “I’m honored to serve on the U.S. Chamber board of directors to help steer the way to continued recovery and will be a strong advocate for American business.”
Appointed for a one-year term, Ruan will be the second-ranking officer on the Chamber’s board, which is the chief policy-setting body within the business group.
“John Ruan’s selection as vice chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce speaks to his leadership ability and the respect he commands from his peers,” Bill Graves, president of American Trucking Associations, said in a statement. “It is a tremendous honor for the trucking industry to have one of our leaders in line to become chairman of the leading business organization and lobby in the nation.”
Ruan has overseen the Des Moines, Iowa, trucking company since 1998. With roughly 3,300 trucks and 5,100 trailers, Ruan Transportation is the 31st largest for-hire trucking company in the United States and Canada, according to the Transport Topics 100 For-Hire list.
In addition to his work at Ruan Transportation, Ruan also is director and chairman of Iowa Export-Import Trading Co., director of the World Food Prize Foundation, and is involved in several other charitable and business groups in Iowa.
Ruan, who holds degrees from Northwestern University and Harvard Business School, also is on the board of the National Chamber Foundation, the Chamber’s non-profit research arm.
