Ray works with financial institutions across the Great Lakes region to design, build, and implement retail checking products and strategies to more effectively compete in the new subscription economy. After graduating from Illinois State University, the Institute for Organization Management, and the Illinois Bankers School, Ray began his career as Director of Marketing for a community bank in central Illinois and served on the Bank Marketing Board for the Illinois Bankers Association.

He joined the bank marketing firm Madison Financial in 1984 and went on to lead the national sales team working to develop checking acquisition strategies and mature market products with some of the largest regional banks in the country. In 1999 he become a partner/owner at Journal Communication, a custom publishing company focusing on quality of life magazines and content. He helped quadruple the sales of the custom publishing company, focusing on adding digital content delivery with Livability.com and built a new division, Farm Flavor Media, into a national leader in connecting consumers and agriculture.

He resides in Brentwood, TN with his wife of 31 years and in his spare time enjoys cycling, barefoot water skiing, and fly fishing.