Nancy Aldrich-Ruenzel

Nancy Aldrich-Ruenzel is vice-president of Pearson Technology Group and publisher of Berkeley-based Peachpit Publishing Group. Peachpit is home to the world's leading computer book imprints, series, and authors specializing in design, graphics, and creative computer use. Imprints include Peachpit Press, New Riders, Adobe Press, Apple Certified Training, lynda.com, and NAPP.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a master's from Indiana University-Bloomington, Aldrich-Ruenzel got her start in graphics as a night-shift typesetter and proofreader at UW's Daily Cardinal. Her first real publishing job in the design industry, however, was as editor of Art Product News—one of the few trade magazines in the late '70s that was written and designed for commercial artists.

Prior to joining Peachpit, Aldrich-Ruenzel was editor of Wisconsin Business Magazine, started up several internationally recognized magazines, and served as group president for all graphics products, services, new media, and training at Dynamic Graphics (DG). Aldrich-Ruenzel first joined Dynamic Graphics in 1984 to start Step-By-Step Graphics magazine, the internationally recognized how-to magazine for graphic designers; Step-By-Step Digital Design, the award-winning newsletter for desktop designers; and Dynamic Graphics magazine.

Aldrich-Ruenzel has received many awards throughout her career, including being ranked in the "MDJ Power 25" list for 2004 as one of the most powerful and influential individuals in the Mac community, and receiving a "Woman of Distinction" award in 2005 from the East Bay Business Times.

Aldrich-Ruenzel has served on the boards of international graphics organizations, chaired and presented at graphics and digital design conferences, and judged traditional and digital design and illustration competitions.