CEO Monthly Issue 6 2018

30 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 6 2018 , Founder of InboundMarketing Agency to advise on the impact of digital marketing at top university research centre. SmartBug CEO Ryan Malone Appointed Industry Fellow at UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business Center for Digital Transformation SmartBug Media—a leading intelligent inbound marketing agency that assists businesses in generating leads, increasing awareness, and building brand loyalty through inbound marketing, digital strategy, design, marketing automation, and public relations—announced that its founder and CEO, Ryan Malone, has been appointed an Industry Fellow at the University of California, Irvine’s (UCI) Center for Digital Transformation within The Paul Merage School of Business. Malone, an alumnus of UCI’s prestigious MBA program, returns to his alma mater as an advisor to share his marketing expertise and grow the Center’s digital presence. UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business is a world-renowned institution of higher learning and a leader among business schools. In 2017, the Financial Times ranked the Merage School’s Full-Time MBA program 30th in the U.S. and 13th among public universities. UCI was ranked 9th in the nation among public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Colleges List; its Undergraduate Business Program ranked 34th. The Merage School’s Center for Digital Transformation is one of seven centres of excellence that bridges the school to the surrounding business community. By providing opportunities for students and the business community to enhance their educational experience and update their professional expertise, the Center helps businesses, governmental leaders, and society compete in today’s digital economy. “In order to fulfil our mission as a vital centre of influence in the digital economy, we work hard to attract some of the area’s best and brightest business leaders,” said the Center’s associate director, Coni Zingarelli. “As the founder of a highly successful inbound marketing agency and an alumnus of our MBA program, Ryan will play an important role in helping us implement and communicate the value of digital transformation within marketing organisations.” As its newest Industry Fellow, Ryan Malone will advise the Center on digital marketing strategies and their impact on digital transformation. He will also advise the Center on ways to grow its digital presence by assisting with strategic planning and implementing processes to bring it to scale. “I’m excited to return to UCI as a thought leader, and I look forward to imparting my knowledge of best practices in transforming