Powered by adaptability and a determination to succeed , Brad Garlinghouse has made Ripple one of the most recognisable names in the fintech arena

In truth , this is a man who needs little introduction thanks to his impact at Ripple , the company on a mission to build breakthrough crypto solutions for a world without economic borders .

That ’ s without mentioning his impressive contributions to various other big names over the past couple of decades , including Yahoo !, AOL and Hightail ( formerly YouSendIt ), to name a few .

What has become clear , especially in recent times , is that Garlinghouse was surely destined to make his mark on an industry that continues to shape the way our society functions , both today and for years to come .

Destined to change the world Born in Kansas ’ state capital , Topeka , Brad Garlinghouse developed an interest in technology from a young age , when his father brought home a TRS 80 computer – exposing him to the wonders of computing and programming .

Heading off to college , Garlinghouse achieved his bachelor ’ s degree in economics at the University of Kansas and retains a great affinity for the institution to this day .

This includes following the fortunes of the Kansas Jayhawks , one of the most successful university basketball teams in US history . After graduating , Garlinghouse earned his MBA from

Harvard Business School in 1997 , ensuring he had a solid foundation to succeed as a professional , before making the brave move to Silicon Valley in pursuit of a career beyond the norm ( at the time ).

Speaking to Kansas University ’ s KU College Stories site in 2016 , he said : “ Long before joining Ripple , I knew I wanted to be a part of something that could change the world . We ’ re living in an amazing time , when almost anyone can say that and mean it .

“ I never wanted to work somewhere that was focused on doing things the way they ’ ve always been done . I discovered that I always want to be looking for the next thing , rather than getting comfortable in what I ’ m doing today .”

Making a name for himself Garlinghouse ’ s initial endeavours in the world of work saw him take up positions at @ Home Network , a highspeed internet cable provider , and @ Ventures , a venture capital firm that invested in early-stage tech companies .

Following a stint as CEO at Dialpad , he joined Yahoo ! in 2003 to become SVP for Communications , Community and Front Doors . This meant looking after the Homepage , Flickr , Yahoo ! Mail and Yahoo ! Messenger divisions , all of which were enjoying a huge surge in popularity .

It was during his tenure at Yahoo ! that Garlinghouse – who was already making a name for himself – authored the ‘ Peanut Butter Manifesto ’, which became famous and was replicated across the industry .

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