Coinstar and Ruiz Foods Executives Join USD School of Business Administration Board of Advisors

J. Scott Di Valerio, chief financial officer of Coinstar Inc., and Bryce Ruiz, president and CEO of Ruiz Foods, have joined the University of San Diego School of Business Administration’s Board of Advisors.

Di Valerio is an integral part of Bellevue, Wash.-based Coinstar’s executive team and has more than 25 years of experience in finance, operations and management with high-growth, world-class operations. He has also served as vice president of Microsoft Inc.’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Division and was a partner at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in San Diego and Prague, Czech Republic. Di Valerio, who earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from USD in 1985, will receive the Author E. Hughes Award for Career Achievement at USDs’ Alumni Honors celebration on April 28.

He is also a strong supporter and advocate for the proper development and education of children and adults and is a member of the board of trustees for Childhaven, a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to stopping the cycle of abuse.

Ruiz has held numerous positions in the company started by his father and grandfather in 1964. Based in Dinuba, in California’s Central Valley, Ruiz Foods ranks among the top 10  Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States and first among the top 500 Hispanic-owned manufacturing companies in California, according to Hispanic Business magazine. Under Ruiz’s leadership, the company’s signature El Monterey brand continues its dominance as the No. 1 frozen Mexican brand in the United States. Ruiz earned his MBA from the University of San Diego School of Business Administration in 2003 and holds a bachelor’s degree in food science from California State University, Fresno.

USD’s School of Administration Board of Advisors, chaired by Tres Conrique, president and CEO of Rancho Santa Fe Technology, Inc., provides strategic guidance and insight to the school’s dean as well as contributing expertise to the school’s academic and fund-raising efforts.

“We are excited to welcome these two outstanding alumni to our Board of Advisors,” said David Pyke, dean of USD’s School of Business Administration. “Their knowledge and experience will be a great addition to the board.”

The University of San Diego School of Business Administration is committed to developing socially responsible leaders and improving global business practice through innovative, personalized education and applied research. For more information go to www.sandiego.edu/business.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is among the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact according to The Princeton Review. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.