The First Call: In one sentence, describe what you do for a living.
Ruth Engle: I lead the team in shaping business and fiscal strategy and process to drive the best sustainable financial outcomes for Troon and our clients.
TFC: What time do you wake in the morning, and what time do you typically start the workday?
RE: 6:30 a.m. I typically start my day with a ride on my Peloton and hit the office around 8:30 a.m.
TFC: What are key elements to leadership or to being a good leader?
RE: I believe good leaders set compelling strategic vision and then inspire teams to achieve collectively what is not possible individually. Effective leaders earn the trust of team members by "walking the walk," rolling up their sleeves and working alongside them, helping to solve problems and clearing the path for success.
TFC: What's the secret to your success?
RE: I have always been an operational CFO. Over the years, I learned that successful financial executives are those who sit at the right hand of the CEO. Earning that place requires the development of business acumen, a proven ability to execute and build high performance teams, a cross-functional process mindset and strategic vision. I am fortunate to have been afforded opportunities that allowed me to develop those skills.
TFC: Who is your role model?
RE: I don’t have one single role model. Over the years, I have admired a number of people for different reasons and attempted to emulate the qualities I appreciated most.
TFC: Knowing what you know today, what professional advice would you give a younger you?
RE: Take more chances and be less fearful of failure.
TFC: What’s the last book you read?
RE: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest." Now I am reading "The Road to Character" by David Brooks.
TFC: What’s the last movie you saw?
RE: "The Fabelmans."
TFC: What’s on your playlist?
RE: I love classic rock and most anything 80’s. Right now, I am listening to a lot of Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Queen.
TFC: When I’m not at work, you can find me ...
RE: Hanging out with my husband Adam and our cat Tito, playing golf, riding my Peloton and traveling.
TFC: What is your greatest extravagance?
RE: Our home in Santa Barbara, California. We spent too many years renovating it, but it is a special place.
TFC: What was your path to the golf industry?
RE: I started my career at PriceWaterhouse and then dabbled in academia as a professor for five years. I was an executive at Honeywell prior to coming to Troon in 2007. Dana Garmany, the company’s founder, had such great vision in creating this culture forward company founded on customer centric ideals. I feel very lucky to have landed at Troon.
TFC: What are the favorite golf courses you have played?
RE: Pebble Beach, Troon North, and I have been lucky enough to play some of our Hawaiian facilities with incredible conditions and vistas.
TFC: Which golf courses do you belong to?
RE: We recently moved to Desert Highlands in Scottsdale. It’s a Jack Nicklaus Signature course so you need to keep it in the fairway. I’m still working on that.
