# Jeff Merkel

> Jeff Merkel is a Palo Alto-based technology executive, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Ladder, the digital life insurance company launched in 2015. His career has moved through consulting, Apple, Motorola, AdMob, Google and Issuu, repeatedly placing him at the point where a technically complex product has to become intelligible and useful to ordinary customers and business partners. He also co-founded the global technology leadership network H2 and serves as a venture partner at AV8 Ventures.

- **Role:** Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder at Ladder
- **Organizations:** Ladder, H2, AV8 Ventures, Issuu, Google, AdMob, Motorola, Apple, Price Waterhouse
- **Education:** B.S. in Business and B.A. in Mathematics, Taylor University, MBA, Stanford University Graduate School of Business
- **Known for:** Co-founded Ladder in 2015 and helped build its revenue, acquisition and distribution functions., Helped take Ladder from launch in California to broad U.S. distribution of a fully digital term life insurance product., Built senior commercial experience across Apple, Motorola, AdMob, Google and Issuu before entering insurance.

## Career timeline

- **1996-2000** — Worked as a management consultant at Price Waterhouse in the United States and Europe.
- **2001** — Worked as a marketing manager at Apple.
- **2002-2007** — Served in market development and later as Director of Media Solutions at Motorola.
- **2009-2010** — Served as Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific at AdMob.
- **2009** — Co-founded H2, a global technology leadership network, and became a board director.
- **2010-2014** — Held mobile sales and partnership roles at Google, culminating in Director of Global Android Partnerships.
- **2014-2015** — Served as Chief Revenue Officer at digital publishing platform Issuu.
- **2015** — Co-founded Ladder with Jamie Hale, Laura Hale and Jack Dubie.
- **2017** — Ladder launched its digital term life insurance product in California and began expanding across the United States.
- **2019** — Introduced Ladder for Advisors and spoke at the Digital Insurance Summit about personalization.
- **2021** — Ladder raised a $100 million Series D after revenue more than quadrupled in the prior year.
- **2022** — Published and spoke about embedded insurance partnerships and distribution through financial platforms.
- **2025** — Hosted a funding panel at the H2 Global Summit in Singapore.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Ladder in 2015 and helped build its revenue, acquisition and distribution functions.
- Helped take Ladder from launch in California to broad U.S. distribution of a fully digital term life insurance product.
- Built senior commercial experience across Apple, Motorola, AdMob, Google and Issuu before entering insurance.
- Co-founded H2, an international network for technology leaders, in 2009.
- Is named as a co-inventor on a U.S. patent application concerning management of applications and media content on wireless devices.
- Has contributed publicly to the development of embedded insurance, advisor distribution and flexible term life coverage.

## Latest updates

- **2025-11** — Hosted the funding panel at the H2 Global Summit at LinkedIn's APAC headquarters in Singapore.
- **2025-09** — Ladder's leadership materials continued to list Merkel as Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder.
- **2023-06** — Appeared on an Insurtech Insights panel about technologies reshaping the life insurance customer journey.

## Links

- Website: https://www.ladderlife.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffmerkel

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jeff-merkel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-27