Elaine Richards

Elaine Richards has extensive work experience spanning over two decades. Their most recent position is as the Chief Operating Officer at 37signals, a position they have held since September 2021. Prior to that, they served as a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the College of Business and Technology at Northeastern Illinois University starting from January 2019.

Elaine also had significant roles at Perfect Search Media, Wyzant, Rubicon Global, Cars.com, The McClatchy Company, Denver Newspaper Agency, Times Community News, and Los Angeles Times. At Perfect Search Media, they served as an Advisory Board Member from August 2017. Elaine was the President and COO at Wyzant from April 2019 to April 2021. At Rubicon Global, they held the position of President and Strategic Advisor from November 2017 to December 2018. At Cars.com, Elaine served in various roles including Executive Vice President of Business Operations, Interim CMO and CPO, and SVP of Channel Development.

Elaine's earlier experiences include roles at The McClatchy Company, Denver Newspaper Agency, Times Community News, and Los Angeles Times. Notably, they served as the VP of Strategic Initiatives at The McClatchy Company from 2008 to 2010, SVP of Interactive at Denver Newspaper Agency from 2007 to 2008, Group Publisher at Times Community News from 2005 to 2007, and Director of Interactive at Los Angeles Times from 1998 to 2005.

Throughout their career, Elaine Richards has demonstrated their expertise in various areas, including operations, advisory, marketing, sales, and digital media. Their accomplishments include driving revenue growth, leading successful turnarounds, implementing effective marketing strategies, and achieving recognition for their contributions to the industry.

Elaine Richards is currently a Doctoral (DBA) Candidate at the University of Florida and is expected to complete their degree in 2024. Prior to pursuing their doctoral degree, they obtained a B.A. in Journalism and Business from the University of Southern California. Elaine also holds an MBA from USC Marshall School of Business, with a focus on Marketing and Strategy. In addition to their formal education, Elaine has obtained additional certifications, including being certified as a TRUE Advisor by Green Business Certification, Inc. in May 2018 and completing the "How Writers Write Fiction 2015" program offered by NovoEd in September 2015.