After Charles D.A. Ruffolo met his Dutch wife, Herma, the American soldier exchanged his hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for The Netherlands. He served and retired after 20 years from the military and is a graduate of the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy and served as a Battalion Sergeant Major. He earned his MBA/MPA degree in his free time in the military and fine-tuned his natural talent for linking (networking) common interests.

These items created the capital for The NetworKing B.V..  Ruffolo is an international speaker, trainer, author and publisher. He speaks over 150 times each year, worldwide, in more than ten countries. He has licensed his The NetworKing concept into China, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, Belgium, USA and the Netherlands. He is an active member of various business clubs and serves on numerous business clubs and boards (membership Committee American Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands, former president of the Amsterdam American Business Club, Advisory Board/Partner Big Improvement Day and Founder of the Giving Back Foundation).

He has enriched our business environment with his talents as a professional networker. In fact, he has developed networking into a new science and the foundation of a flourishing company. In addition, he provides training courses in his field to groups and companies. Also, thanks to his knowledge of networking, which is one of the oldest professions in the world and to his inspiring enthusiasm, he is in great demand as a guest speaker. Charles Ruffolo has used the power of Internet technology to demonstrate that NetworKing is truly a business of daily necessity by starting The Network Clubs which have thousands of members around the global. 

Charles has arranged for the Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of The United States to visit The Netherlands in 2002, 2004 and 2006. Additionally, Charles has successfully worked personally to bring the Dutch Postcode Lottery together with President Clinton’s Foundation which donates 1.5 million euro per year for five years to his Foundation.  

He has established and developed the partnership between the Dutch wind energy company, Emergya Wind Technologies (EWT) and the Clinton Global Initiative.  In 2007, he successfully negotiated a Primary Sponsorship of the Annual meeting in New York City on behalf of EWT.  Not only did he succeed in a Sponsorship, but he has also been instrumental in the commitment made and the future partnership between President Clinton and EWT.   In additional to the relationship developed between President Clinton and EWT, he was also successful in bringing together General Wesley K. Clark and EWT into a business working relationship.  

Another success story is the establishing a business relationship with Stedman Graham who has a splendid career as an international renowned diversity and leadership specialist. Charles worked hand-in-hand with the Netherlands organization The King Foundation/Hi5 to build a unique partnership with The King Center and Stedman Graham. Additionally, Ruffolo successfully established the Stedman Graham Nyenrode Giving Back Scholarship for a deserving student in the Netherlands.  

Using his personal networking skills he brought Sir Richard Branson (Virgin) and Henk Keilman (RIG Investments) together which has developed into a business relationship focused on sustainability investments.  

Based on the foundations of The NetworKing concept, in 2010, Charles started The NetworKing Academy with Anne Marie Westra (EPLU Management Support) at the Netherlands top business school Amsterdam Center of Entrepreneur (ACE)/ Amsterdam Business University. This is the first NetworKing Academy of its kind in the world. Target audience is the motivated experienced mid-career individual with a desire to improve his or her networking abilities by directly gaining experience and achieving results. The NetworKing Academy offers its participants a real experience about practical and other current topics that directly contribute to everyone’s personal Network Plan. The half yearly program of The NetworKing Academy, which is further characterized by international perspective and diversity, is given in Dutch and has duration of 2 months (8 evening modules and 2 'NetworKing in Action' sessions). (www.thenetworkingacademy.com)

Charles successfully arranged and coordinated for the Government of Aruba former Vice President of the United States of America, Al Gore to headline their ‘Green Aruba’ event. 

By activating his Network, in 2011, Ruffolo became a member of the strategic team of 24Kitchen, the first Dutch food lifestyle platform that creates a community, where food quality is of paramount importance. 24Kitchen provides reliable information about buying, cooking and preparing healthy food. Healthy eating can help to prevent diseases and obesity, and healthy eating is also very tasty. 24Kitchen believes that healthy eating can be and should become everyone’s lifestyle. 24 Kitchen wants to inspire and motivate people to be aware of food. Their message:  healthy eating is for everyone! (www.24kitchen.nl)

Ruffolo’s philosophy about Networking is that it’s a value system, built on trust, respect, honesty, integrity and making things happen with a lot of enthusiasm. That it’s a ‘give and take’ process with people with whom you have a direct or indirect relationship. Mutual interests support this process and finding the common ground is the key to Networking. Networking enables you to go directly from A to Z and skip the usual path through B to Y.   

The cardinal rule of networking is giving back. Ruffolo believes it’s so essential that in 1999 he founded the Giving Back Foundation. Giving Back is a non-profit Foundation committed toward bringing critical resources to the youth that need them. The Giving Back Foundation helps high-school students whose career perspectives, due to their backgrounds, are not on the same level as their talent and ambition. These students, who may potentially be role model in Dutch society and for this have the ability to develop themselves best, are offered a group and mentor program to help them broaden their knowledge and experience. Giving Back only functions from private donations from companies and people who want to give back to society. Giving Back does not receive government funding.                                  

Students who have properly completed the Giving Back program and study at universities or colleges may become members of the Giving Back Student Community, a club that is run by students. The Giving Back Student Community organizes many activities, study tours and (sporting) events, designed for the students during their studies, to complete all the knowledge and skills and to give insights which they need to build a successful career in business or government after graduation. The GBSC finances these activities through membership fees, a contribution from students and Financial support from the Giving Back Foundation. The membership in the GBSC also offers students the opportunity to be coached by a professional during their studies. This coach is employed by one of the partners/main sponsors of Giving Back. (www.givingback.nl)  

Charles’s has written a book on Networking – ‘Network Your Way to Success’ recently published in Dutch entitled ‘Netwerk Je Weg Naar Succes’ and Chinese.  

In this guide to the Power of NetworKing, readers are privy to The NetworKing methods that have earned Ruffolo worldwide respect and support. He also has created the NetworKing card game called the ‘Ruffle Shuffle’, a playful manner to Network effectively.    

Charles and Herma have been married for thirty-two years.    

WHO YOU KNOW is not as important as who knows YOU!