John Ruan IIIPhoto: WHO 13
(Des Moines, IA) -- John Ruan III, a Des Moines businessman and philanthropist, has died. After a long battle with an illness, Ruan passed peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on Saturday, September 11th.
Ruan served as chairman of Ruan Transportation Management Systems and the Ruan family of companies. Ruan Transportation employs over 55-hundred people at more than 300 locations across the United States.
In his philanthropic work, Ruan served on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's board of directors and was chairman of the board in 2011. Additionally, Ruan served as chairman of the World Food Prize Foundation and supported numerous Des Moines area companies.
In August 2021, John Ruan IV succeeded his father in the role of chairman in the Ruan companies.
John Ruan III was 78.