| Website | verical.com/about... |
| U.C Berkeley, B.A. | 1993 |
| English |
Josef Ruef is an entrepreneur and executive with 18 years of experience developing and growing businesses. In 2005, Mr. Ruef co-founded the online marketplace for electronic components, Verical Incorporated, where he served as President and CEO and where he co-authored Verical’s patented business process. Mr. Ruef led Verical from its inception in the market to its acquisition, a journey that included multiple rounds of venture financing and culminated in the successful sale of Verical to Arrow Electronics Inc. (NYSE: ARW). Mr. Ruef is currently the President and General Manager of the Verical business unit at Arrow Electronics, where he is responsible driving Verical’s business strategy and global expansion.
Prior to founding Verical, Mr. Ruef held various executive roles at Velocity Electronics, and served as an advisor for a first-generation online B2B marketplace for electronics, TradingHubs.com, (later renamed eHitex.com).
In his spare time, Mr. Ruef is active in the entrepreneurial community in Silicon Valley and elsewhere. He currently advises and helps to arrange financing for early stage companies dealing in information technology, e-commerce, messaging and inventory management. Mr. Ruef is a graduate of Mindshare, a mentor at the Founder Institute, and is active with the University of California at Berkeley’s Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at its Haas School of Business. Mr. Ruef is also a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, 1993, where he earned a B.A. in English, and played football for the Golden Bears.
