Gunlek Ruder

President, Agassi Graf Holdings

Gun Ruder is President of Agassi Graf Holdings (AGH), a private company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ruder is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Agassi Ventures and Stefanie Graf Ventures. AGH provides business management services for retired tennis stars Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf and is focused on building lifestyle businesses through endorsement relationships, joint venture investments and real estate development. Ruder also oversees the finance department at AGH, which includes financial management of the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education.

Ruder is an experienced business strategist with extensive problem-solving and team leadership experience across a diverse set of industries and geographies. His deep experience in developing new business opportunities, strategy and analysis and project implementation is uniquely suited to running the ventures of Agassi and Graf. 

Prior to relocating to Las Vegas in 2005 to join AGH, Ruder worked for MBNA America Bank at its Wilmington, Delaware-based headquarters, as a senior member of the internal strategy group. In this capacity, Ruder was focused on diversifying the credit card company by developing financial products for consumers and small businesses. 

Upon earning his MBA in 1999 with a concentration in strategy and finance from Stanford University, Ruder was recruited to McKinsey & Company where he worked in the financial services and private equity industries in New York City. At McKinsey, Ruder managed large teams of consultants and clients in the areas of business development, strategic due diligence and project management. Some of his consulting successes include:
  •  Developing pricing strategies to increase private banking revenue by $150 million for a Fortune 100 financial institution.
  •  Creating business plans to grow market capitalization by $5 billion for a multi-national financial institution.
  •  Developing the plan for a $200 million asset management distribution business for a Global 400 bank.
  •  Leading the research and analysis for a multi-billion dollar private equity fund’s “no-go” decision for two telecommunications investments.   

Also while at McKinsey, Ruder was selected to lead associate recruiting at Stanford Business School and business analyst recruiting at Yale University.
 
Prior to attending Stanford Graduate School of Business, Ruder lived for a number of years in Japan working for Nittetsu Shoji, Nippon Steel’s primary trading company. There, he worked in project finance and management to develop the company’s natural resource business in Asia, Russia and South America.    

Ruder holds an MBA from Stanford University, and a BA in international relations and history from Georgetown University. He and his wife have three daughters.