SmartBug CEO Ryan Malone Appointed Industry Fellow at UCI's Paul Merage School of Business Center for Digital Transformation

Founder of Inbound Marketing Agency to Advise on the Impact of Digital Marketing at Top University Research Center

News provided by

Jun 19, 2018, 07:00 ET

IRVINE, Calif., June 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 30^th in the U.S. and 13^th among public universities. UCI was ranked 9^th in the nation among public universities in U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Colleges List; its Undergraduate Business Program ranked 34^th. The Merage School's Center for Digital Transformation is one of seven centers 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 fulfill our mission as a vital center 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 organizations."

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 digital marketing programs to help businesses keep up with the latest, most effective and fastest-moving trends," added Malone. "I am also immensely thrilled and honored to give back to a school and a community that has given so much to me."

UCI's Center of Digital Transformation draws upon the expertise of top business leaders in one of the country's most thriving business and technology hubs—Orange County, California. Malone joins a team of Industry Fellows from MIT and nexxworks. Notable members of the Center's Advisory Board include executives from Amazon, SpaceX, KPMG, Qantas and Pacific Life.

About SmartBug Media

For 10 years, SmartBug Media has been helping businesses increase sales leads, close more customers, and enhance the reach of their brands. SmartBug Media is one of a handful of HubSpot Diamond partners in the world and is the highest-rated agency in the history of the HubSpot ecosystem. SmartBug Media also boasts the highest ROI documented from any HubSpot partner: 3,558 percent and 14,500 percent ROI on a six-month and three-year campaign, respectively. SmartBug Media is also a certified Great Place to Work, Inc. 5000 company, and the winner of 36 MarCom Awards in 2017 and 32 AVA Digital Awards in 2018.

SOURCE SmartBug Media