With a strong interest in the software industry in the ’80s, Ruthann was a Managing Director at Alex. Brown & Sons where she worked with a variety of software firms and was instrumental in the successful IPOs of leading software companies including Microsoft, AOL, Aldus, Borland, Broderbund, Electronic Arts, McAfee Associates and the 3DO Corporation. More recently she has been focused on companies involved in developing Internet infrastructure, electronic commerce, web-based services and digital media companies.