Founder Ryan Malone Returns to Board Chairman, Passes the Baton to Bleibtreu in
Strategic Leadership Transition
IRVINE, Calif., June 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SmartBug Media® — HubSpot’s most decorated Elite Partner in the world and the digital agency of choice for organizations looking to create resilient growth across the entire customer lifecycle — today announced a strategic leadership transition, promoting Adam Bleibtreu from his current role as president of the company to chief executive officer, effective July 1, 2025. Ryan Malone, founder and current CEO, will stay in his role as chairman of the board, focusing on long-term strategy and company culture.
As SmartBug’s® president, Bleibtreu has overseen the company’s strategic direction, operational excellence and growth initiatives while working side by side with Malone and SmartBug’s leaders to advance every facet of the company. With decades of executive experience and deep expertise across marketing, staffing and digital transformation, he is positioned to expand the agency’s potential for continued excellence and innovation.
“Having led SmartBug for so long, it was important for me to hand the baton to someone who had the skills, demeanor and experience to lead SmartBug where we want to go, and Adam fits the mold perfectly,” Malone said. “His background leading large teams at scale — within both public and private companies — positions us to meet the demands of a rapidly advancing tech landscape. Working hand in hand with Adam in his role as president, I know SmartBug is in good hands with his vision and client-centric approach to the business.”
Prior to SmartBug, Bleibtreu spent eight years as chief marketing officer (CMO) at ASGN Incorporated (NYSE: ASGN), a leading publicly traded provider of technology and creative digital marketing solutions across the commercial and government sectors. At ASGN, he led transformative initiatives across marketing, brand strategy, investor relations, ESG and corporate communications — playing a key role in the company’s growth from $2.2 billion to more than $4 billion in revenue through 13 strategic acquisitions and organic growth. Known for aligning brand, business strategy and operational execution, Bleibtreu has held leadership roles across tech, staffing, consumer products and media, including serving concurrently as CMO for both ASGN and Creative Circle. His deep expertise in marketing, sales and sustainable business practices uniquely positions him to lead SmartBug’s mission of delivering intelligent, data-driven growth for modern organizations.
In his role as chairman of the board, Malone will collaborate with Bleibtreu on long-term strategy and enhancing SmartBug’s award-winning company culture.
“We are excited to have an executive of Adam’s caliber lead SmartBug as CEO,” said Michael Denbeau, partner at American Discovery Capital, a private equity firm focused on providing growth capital and liquidity solutions to founder-led companies. “Adam has a long and successful track record as a senior executive of leading private and public companies in the technology services and digital marketing/creative sectors. We have seen firsthand Adam’s dedication to SmartBug’s global employee base, his client-first approach and his unwavering commitment to delivering the very best service to our clients and strategic partners. We are proud of SmartBug’s recognition by HubSpot as its 2024 North American Partner of the Year, and we look forward to collaborating with Adam to capitalize on the company’s premier position and strong reputation in the U.S. and Canada to propel the next several years of growth.”
“I’m incredibly excited to take on the leadership of SmartBug at such a pivotal moment,” Bleibtreu said. “As the largest and most successful HubSpot partner in the world, we’re uniquely positioned at the intersection of evolving client needs, powerful marketing and CRM technologies, and the accelerating impact of digital transformation and AI. By combining strategic insight with deep technical expertise, we’re able to help clients navigate complexity, unlock growth and stay ahead in a fast-changing digital world.”
ABOUT SMARTBUG MEDIA®
SmartBug Media® is the digital agency of choice for organizations looking to create resilient growth across the entire customer lifecycle. From marketing to sales, revenue operations to customer success and e-commerce to integration, SmartBug® combines sound strategies, cutting-edge AI and digital innovation to help clients optimize their sales, marketing and customer success strategies to maximize revenue growth.
As a three-time HubSpot Partner of the Year, SmartBug is one of its top-performing Elite Global Solutions Partners. SmartBug is also a Google Premier Partner. For more information about SmartBug Media, visit smartbugmedia.com.
For SmartBug Media Inquiries, Contact:
Katie Quaranta, PR Manager
SmartBug Media
kquaranta@smartbugmedia.com
SOURCE SmartBug Media