Our Leadership Team

Ruan continues to grow through the support and expert knowledge provided by our executive and senior leadership teams.

Executive Leadership Team

Ben McLean | Chief Executive Officer

Benjamin McLean has served as Chief Executive Officer since 2015. He joined Ruan in 2007 and held various functional and operational roles, including COO and CIO, before assuming his current role.

Prior to joining Ruan, Ben assisted companies with mergers, acquisitions, and equity offerings at William Blair & Company in Chicago and the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. He was also a systems developer and architect at Deloitte Consulting, where his team developed and implemented enterprise software for multiple clients.

Ben was raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management and a law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. He earned his undergraduate degree in computer engineering from Northwestern.

Ben serves on the boards of UFP Industries and the American Transportation Research Institute, and he is an active member of the American Trucking Associations, where he chairs the Nominating Committee. Ben is also a member of the Northwestern University Transportation Center’s Business Advisory Committee and the Iowa Business Council, where he served as chair from 2016 to 2018. Previous board and philanthropic affiliations include United Way of Central Iowa, Orchard Place, and Reaching Higher Iowa. Ben also chaired the Governor's Economic Recovery Advisory Board for the State of Iowa in 2020.

Jeff Harpole | Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Jeff began his career in transportation in 1990 with Schneider National Carriers, where he held a variety of leadership roles. His responsibilities included on-site operations with dedicated customers, sales, customer service, and account management, including direct oversight of some of the company's most significant strategic partnerships. In 2007, Jeff joined Dollar General as Senior Director of Outbound Operations, overseeing all aspects of store deliveries across the company's nine distribution centers and 9,000+ retail locations.

By 2015, Jeff was promoted to Vice President of Transportation at Dollar General, where he managed the global transportation department. His scope of responsibilities included outbound store deliveries, domestic and international inbound operations, refrigerated shipments, Dollar General's private fleet, and the maintenance organization.

In 2020, Jeff transitioned to Ruan, where he initially led the retail and grocery teams. He now serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer, overseeing operations, maintenance, and human resources.

Marty Wadle | Chief Commercial Officer

With a bachelor’s degree in Transportation and Logistics from Iowa State University and previous experience working for LTL carrier, Central Transport, and institutional food distributor, Martin Brothers, Marty started at Ruan on January 22, 1996, as a Design Analyst. Throughout his time at Ruan, he has moved into other roles within the company, including Operations Support Manager, Account Manager, Director of Design and Pricing, and Vice President and Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Solutions. He currently leads our Solution Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Communications, and Business Development teams. Marty is actively involved with the Iowa State University Supply Chain Forum and the Iowa Department of Transportation Freight Advisory Council.

Chad Willis | Chief Transformation Officer

Chad joined Ruan in 2005 as the Director of Non-Asset Operations. Throughout his tenure, he has held several leadership roles that have provided him with extensive experience and expertise in technology, safety, and operations. Before moving into his current role of Chief Transformation Officer, he served as Ruan’s Senior Vice President of Safety and Senior Vice President of Operations. As Chief Transformation Officer, Chad is responsible for Ruan’s Information Technology, Operations Support Services, Extended Operations Center, and Safety teams that provide support, systems integration, and technology enablement for Ruan’s entire network of team members and operations nationwide. Prior to joining Ruan, he held various roles in operations, finance, and technology with Transport America and North Star Transport. Chad earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Macalester College and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Food Bank of Iowa.

Heidi Leavengood | Chief Financial Officer

Heidi joined Ruan in 2022 and currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In her role, Heidi is responsible for leading Ruan’s financial strategy and leads the Accounting, Business Unit Support, and Legal teams.

With over 20 years of experience in accounting, finance, and treasury, Heidi brings a wealth of expertise to her position. Before joining Ruan, she served as Senior Vice President of Accounting and Finance at Lifespace Communities, Inc. Her career began at KPMG, where she audited private and public companies across various industries.

Heidi earned her bachelor’s degree from Simpson College and is a graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute. Dedicated to community service, she serves as the treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Waukee Community Schools Foundation, is a member of the Audit Committee for the Food Bank of Iowa, acts as Deputy to the Iowa Business Council, and serves on the board of the Common Sense Institute, Iowa Chapter.

Senior Leadership Team

Chris Fish | Senior Vice President, Operations

Chris began his leadership journey with Ruan on October 20, 1998. He earned his degree in Business Management and Administration from St. Ambrose University and gained valuable experience in driver development and recruitment while working at Heartland Express and CRST International.

At Ruan, Chris started by leading both local and over-the-road teams supporting our operations in Muscatine, IA. He later transitioned into a regional manager role before being promoted to Vice President of Operations. In this capacity, he led numerous operational teams, driving value for key customers across a variety of industries. Today, as Senior Vice President, Chris oversees multiple operations teams and continues to make a meaningful impact. Beyond his professional responsibilities, he is deeply involved in the community, serving as a Tocqueville Member of the United Way and supporting numerous local charities and initiatives.

Shawn Goad | Senior Vice President, Operations

Since joining Ruan in 2007 as a National Account Manager, Shawn has held various roles across the organization, including Vice President of Operations Support, Vice President of FP & A, and Senior Vice President of Business Planning and Analysis. In his current role as Senior Vice President of Operations, he oversees the Brokerage and Managed Transportation divisions, along with a portion of the Dedicated Contract Transportation division.

Before joining Ruan, Shawn held various roles in continuous improvement at Shaw Industries. Earlier in his career, he served in the United States Marine Corps as a cryptologic linguist, analyst, and branch supervisor. Shawn holds degrees in Business Administration and Spanish Studies from Wayland Baptist University. Outside of work, Shawn is actively involved in his community, volunteering with several charitable organizations such as Central Iowa Shelter Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and United Way of Central Iowa, where he previously served as Chair of the Industrial Segment.

Paul Jensen | Senior Vice President, Operations

Paul Jensen is a graduate of Iowa State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics. After graduating, he joined the United States Navy as a submarine officer and nuclear engineer. He retired from the United States Navy Reserves in 2010 with the rank of Commander (O5). While serving in the Reserves, Jensen began his corporate career in 1999 with Jacobson Companies, where he eventually served as Executive Vice President. From 2011-2016, he worked for DuPont Pioneer as Senior Manager of Logistics and Contracting.

Paul joined Ruan in 2016 as Vice President of Logistics, leading the company's fastest-growing service segment and overseeing a team of more than 100 employees in Managed Transportation and Brokerage Support Services. He now leads the Supply Chain Solutions Division, which also include Value-Added Warehousing and Dedicated Contract Transportation.

Lance Cheney | Senior Vice President, Fleet Services

Lance was named Senior Vice President of Fleet Services in September 2024. In this role, he leads the Fleet Maintenance, Fleet and Corporate Asset Procurement, Fleet Sales, and Properties teams.

A graduate of Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Business, Lance began his career in transportation with a local transportation and logistics company. He joined Ruan in November 1993 as a Logistics Specialist, focusing on the growth and development of brokerage and backhaul services. Throughout his tenure at Ruan, Lance has held a variety of roles with increasing levels of responsibility, including Manager of Logistics, Operations Support Manager, Regional Manager of Logistics and Fleet Operations, Vice President of Operations, and Vice President of Maintenance.

Crystal Franke | Vice President, Human Resources

Crystal joined Ruan in October 2019 as the Director of Compensation and Benefits. Over the next three years, her role expanded to include oversight of multiple teams within Human Resources. In July 2022, she was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources. In this role, Crystal is responsible for overseeing areas including talent development, HR strategy, labor relations, total rewards, HR systems, and recruiting.

Before joining Ruan, Crystal gained experience across the insurance, retail, and healthcare industries. She began her career as an accountant, spending ten years in the field after earning a degree in Finance and Marketing from Iowa State University. Her transition to Human Resources came through a benefits role at a large healthcare system, where her insurance background and passion for numbers converged. From there, she learned on the job and expanded her scope further into Human Resources. Crystal is active in the Des Moines community, volunteering her time with various local boards and organizations. Currently, she serves as the chair of the Des Moines Water Works Park Foundation Board.

Steven Schaal | Vice President and General Counsel

Steve has spent his entire career practicing law in the Midwest. He earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Juris Doctor from Creighton School of Law before beginning his legal career in private practice in Omaha, Nebraska. From there, he transitioned to roles as a corporate attorney, supporting manufacturing operations in shipping, motor carrier services, freight brokerage, and public warehousing. Later, he lead the legal and compliance team of a commercial auto insurance company. In July 2023, Steve became the General Counsel at Ruan, where he oversees the Legal and Claims/Risk Management teams.

Brad Gehring | Vice President, Procurement & Asset Management

With a bachelor’s degree in Management and Business Administration from the University of Northern Iowa and previous experience working in rail logistics for Cargill Oilseed Processing, Brad started at Ruan on March, 21, 2005, as a Financial Analyst. Throughout his time at Ruan, he has moved into other roles within the company, including Manager of Financial Analysis, Director of Assets, and Vice President of Fleet Services. He currently leads the Procurement, Asset Management, and Used Equipment Sales teams. He is also involved with the Iowa Motor Truck Association and the Des Moines Skywalk Association.

Blake Grolmus | Vice President, Safety

Blake joined Ruan in August 2017, leading the company’s new customer onboarding and continuous improvement activities before taking a leadership role in Ruan’s Gases and Chemicals bulk hazmat operating group. He assumed his current role leading Ruan’s Safety Services and Compliance teams in 2022.

Prior to Ruan, Blake worked in various progressive supply chain roles at Target and grew up in a small business family. He earned undergraduate degrees in Finance, Real Estate, and Marketing from the University of Northern Iowa. Blake is a member of the American Trucking Associations’ Safety Policy Committee, Hazardous Materials Policy Committee, Safety Management Council, and is a member of the 2024-25 LEAD ATA leadership development program. He is also an active member of the Iowa Motor Truck Association, the LEAD IMTA Council, and Iowa Council of Safety Management. Blake currently serves as a member of his local city council and volunteers time with outdoor conservation and youth sports organizations.

Our Board Members

John Ruan IV

Chairman

Bankers Trust and Ruan, Incorporated

Jonathan R. Fletcher

Managing Director

BTC Capital Management

Dan Van Alstine

President and COO (Retired)

Ruan Transportation Management Systems

J Hale Hoak

President

Hoak & Co.

Steven Leath

Owner

Steve Leath and Sons

Tom Schaefer

CEO (Retired)

Henkel Construction Company

James (Jay) Windsor

Project Manager

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

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Our Leadership Team

Executive Leadership Team

Senior Leadership Team

Our Board Members

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