The Driven Growth Team

Driven Growth’s world-class team is led by Chris Ruff, an entrepreneur and MBA who has a passion for new technology and disruptive business opportunities.  With over 20 years in various executive leadership roles in the software, mobile and IoT industries Chris has deep operational experience defining corporate strategy, developing business plans, closing strategic partnerships and raising millions of dollars in venture capital needed to create successful high-growth technology companies.

The last 10 years, Chris was President and CEO of UIEvolution, a global leader in enterprise software for the connected car, mobile and the Internet of Things. With over 200 employees in Seattle, WA and Tokyo, Japan, UIEvolution proudly supports industry leading companies including Toyota, Ford, DIRECTV, Panasonic, Princess Cruise Line and many other Fortune 1000 companies.

As Founder and President of Campaign Touch, Cami Zimmer is a high-energy marketing and corporate branding executive with excellent problem-solving skills and a proven ability to increase companies’ sales revenues and add to their enterprise value. She possesses a broad range of experience in marketing strategies, lead generation, corporate branding and positioning, digital advertising and communications, public relations and marketing automation.

Zimmer comes to Driven Growth fresh from her work as a marketing and branding consultant where clients benefited from her experience in developing communications and event marketing strategies, boosting brand awareness, and initiating profitable marketing and sales operations. Her early career in public policy paved the way for her later successes, with tenures at The White House and The Speaker’s Office for the House of Representatives.

Bill is a senior financial executive in the Bay Area with over 25 years experience in all aspects of accounting, operations and finance in both the public and private environment. With a particular focus in hardware, software, Big Data, SaaS, healthcare and Adtech, he also has proven Corporate Development experience including domestic and international acquisitions, mergers/divestitures, joint venture relationships.

Bill’s fundraising experience is second-to-none, with proven proficiency from banks, private placements, institutional investors and venture capital. He even carries international management experience in Europe and Asia, including two expatriate assignments in Japan. Clients appreciate Bill’s hands-on approach to improving financial systems, internal processes/controls, fostering greater efficiencies and building value for their business.

Peter Crocker is the Founder and Principal Analyst at Smith’s Point Analytics, an independent analyst and consulting firm focused on helping mobile experience providers and software companies innovate and capture market opportunities. Peter has been involved in the mobile and wireless industry since 2003 as an entrepreneur, marketing professional and analyst.

Peter’s background also includes investments, technology marketing and consulting He has been quoted in and is a regular contributor to a number of online and print publications such as Programmable Web, CyberTrend Magazine, GigaOM, and InformationWeek. Learn more about Peter’s experience at Smith Point Analytics.

Pia VanHanen is a Strategic Organizational and HR/Recruiting executive with 2 decades building excellence in HR and turning talent into a source of competitive advantage for emerging and growing companies. She specializes in executing strategies to attract and hire new team members, shaping talent strategies linked to business needs, and implementing HR functions that support corporate missions. Her personable and approachable style set her far apart from others in the field.

VanHanen truly understands that a shortage of the right talent is a top concern for executives in all industries and geographies. Her proven experience in using talent management as a tool to drive strategic change and deliver business outcomes goes far beyond just recruitment and succession planning. Clients appreciate her ability to drive strategic people initiatives while improving the cost, quality and speed of key services like recruiting, training and administration.

As Founder and President of Lake One, Ryan Ruud helps growth-focused brands build, manage, and optimize marketing programs to drive demand, grow leads, and increase revenues. With a track record of double and triple digit revenue wins for clients and companies from startup to Fortune, Ryan leverages inbound marketing, marketing automation, paid and organic media, and analytics to create strategies that optimize and scale marketing, driving profitable growth.

For the past decade, Ryan has worked across a diverse set of industries including Financial Services, AdTech, SaaS, Ecommerce, and Travel and Tourism. A former award winning broadcast journalist, his passion for technology and love of storytelling is what drives his no BS approach to marketing and dogged pursuit of finding the right audience/message/channel blend to drive results.