Erin Ruhf T'15, a native of Virginia, lives in Chicago where she is the director of business development at The Eastman Egg Company—a startup restaurant group specializing in artisanal sandwiches. She received her B.S. at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and worked as an investment banker at Houlihan Lokey prior to attending the Tuck School of Business. While at Tuck, Erin interned with Brooks Running in Seattle, where she combined her interest in corporate strategy with her love of running. Her other interests include traveling, attempting to cook, and promoting financial literacy in public education.
1. What was the exact moment when you first felt like you were a part of Tuck’s community?
When I found out I that I lost the dorm lottery, I was worried about being excluded socially. My first day in Hanover, I walked over to campus to see who was around. I immediately ran into Sandy, the person I sat next to in Tuck’s interview room during WIB weekend. She invited me to help her move in and we spent the entire day trekking around the Upper Valley to find dorm necessities. Sandy was my very first Tuck friend and she made me realize that the Tuck community is not only very real, but very, very special.
2. Who had a profound impact on you during your time at Tuck and why?
Professor Andy King was an incredible guiding force during my time at Tuck. He encouraged me to challenge the norm and frequently made himself available for honest discussions about life after school. His personal encouragement and willingness to connect me to other Tuckies in less traditional post-MBA roles made a huge impact on me—I’m not sure I would have had the courage to graduate without an offer and wait for a role I truly wanted without his support.
3. What’s your favorite Tuck/Dartmouth/Hanover/Upper Valley event and why?
Moosilauke Cabin Night hands down. It blends everything I loved about being at Tuck: my classmates, unique Dartmouth traditions, family meals, dance parties, and the beauty of the Upper Valley. It doesn’t hurt that I saw my first moose there as well, bringing me one step closer to finishing my “Tucket List."
4. Fill in the blank: every visitor to the Upper Valley needs to____.
Leaf peep at Sugarbush Farm—while sampling maple syrup and cheddar cheese.
5. What’s a challenge that you’re currently working on solving? Or perhaps a world problem you’d like to see solved?
I’m currently working on an operations challenge (paging Professors Brian Tomlin and Joe Hall!) across our restaurant locations. Over the next few months, I’ll be building a new inventory management system to optimize ordering and our back-of-house / storage space. The project involves a lot of heavy lifting—literally—and is something that I’m excited to tackle by applying many of the concepts that I learned during my time at Tuck.
6. What do you personally feel is the key to good leadership?
The best leaders that I have encountered build up the team around them and invest significantly in developing others across their entire organizations. They are quick to give feedback—both positive and negative—and credit where it is due. I’ve never seen leaders that are out of touch with the employee experience from the top to bottom of their organizations succeed.
7. Outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?
Eat! Though now that I think about it, that is somewhat work-related. Chicago is such an amazing city to explore, and the food scene here is unreal. In town? Stop by for Eastman for breakfast, my treat! I’ve also been fortunate to break bread across the world—especially during my time at Tuck—blending my passion for food and travel. My favorite meal of all time was at La Badiane in Hanoi with a fellow T’15.
8. What would your theme song be?
"You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet" by Bachman Turner Overdrive. I can’t hear it without singing along and it always reminds me not to take myself too seriously.
9. What’s the best piece of advice you can offer on getting ahead? Or, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Growing up, my father always told me that the biggest risk in life is not taking one. I’ve learned over time to appreciate the rewards that come with taking calculated risks—for example, leaving a great job in investment banking and moving to the middle of the New Hampshire woods to explore what I really want out of a career—and embracing uncertainty.
10. What is one thing that people would be most surprised to learn about you?
I’m a total introvert. Though I was a tour guide and admissions associate at Tuck, I loathe public speaking and interacting in large groups. I dread large networking events and my ideal night involves holing up in my apartment with a glass of wine and a good book. I can handle an intimate dinner party like a Tuck small group dinner if I’m feeling EXTRA social.
