History
2007
In January, Ryan & Company formally launches its Public Affairs practice, adding
industry-recognized attorneys Jim Eads and Susan Bittick to the Firm’s Austin,
Texas office to deliver a suite of direct legislative advocacy services,
comprehensive legislative analysis, and public affairs consulting on all
state tax issues.
In February, Doug Lindholm, the President and Executive Director of the Council On
State Taxation (COST), delivers a keynote address to the entire Firm at its Annual
Company Meeting. Mr. Lindholm states that Ryan & Company’s growth, reputation,
and value to corporations operating in every state in the country is widely
recognized and respected within the tax industry.
Ryan & Company continues its growth and geographic expansion with the opening of a new
Boston office, providing a growing number of northeast clients local access to the Firm’s
industry recognized tax innovation and thought leadership. The launch is one of the biggest
organic office launches in the Firm’s history, with multiple service lines represented,
including Sales and Use Tax, Tax Technology, and Federal Income Tax.
In March, Garry Round is named Managing Principal of the Firm’s Canadian Operations. Mr. Round
joins the Ryan & Company leadership team having formerly served as the Chief Operations Officer
of Robert Brakel & Associates for two years.
In April, Ryan & Company secures an $80 million syndicated credit facility, providing
additional capital to fuel continued rapid growth, as well as take advantage of unique
market opportunities that strengthen the Firm’s leading market share position. The
size of the credit facility demonstrates the financial strength and success the Firm
has experienced.
In May, Ryan & Company adds a total of seven new Principals to the Firm, bringing a wealth
of leadership experience and the industry’s most seasoned tax professionals to the management
team. Leslie Hahn, Randy Hilger, Nigel Hoyle, and Luke Krieger are promoted to Principal.
Also in May, Bruce Gibson, the former Chief of Staff for Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst,
is hired as a Principal to lead the Firm’s rapidly expanding Public Affairs practice. In
addition to his wealth of public sector experience, Mr. Gibson has excelled in corporate
executive positions as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Chamber of
Commerce, as well as Vice President and Senior Vice President of a major power company.
He oversees an experienced team of professionals with significant political, media, and
governmental affairs expertise based in Austin, Texas.
Jayme Fishman and Stephen James are hired as Principals in the strategic growth area of tax
technology, joining recently promoted Principal Nigel Hoyle. These seasoned professionals
lead an expanded Tax Technology practice that is now one of the largest in the industry,
with approximately 25 full-time tax technology professionals.
In June, Managing Principal G. Brint Ryan is unanimously elected to the Executive Committee
of the Texas Association of Business (TAB), uniquely positioning him to represent the
interests of clients and other Texas employers on critically important state and local
tax issues. Additionally, Chuck Martin, a Director in the Firm’s Atlanta office and a
Georgia State Representative, was named one of five “Legislators of the Year” by the
Georgia Chamber of Commerce (GCC). According to the GCC, the organization’s premier
award recognizes legislators who champion pro-business issues and use their leadership
to proactively strengthen the state's business climate, economic development, and
job creation.
Ryan & Company continues to build its national network of offices and professionals with the
June opening of a new Sacramento, California office.
In August, Ryan & Company implements another phase of the Firm’s market strategy to provide
clients total tax performance solutions by launching a new Federal Income Tax practice,
hiring Cheryl Anderson as a Director in the Boston office to lead the practice.
In September, in the case of
Ryan & Company AR, Inc. vs. Richard Weiss, Director Department
of Finance and Administration, the Supreme Court of Arkansas holds that legal opinions issued
by the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration relating to Arkansas sales taxes,
issued under Gross Receipts Tax Rule GR-75, are public records that must be disclosed with
any and all facts that could identify a person or entity fully redacted. This overturns the
Circuit Court’s finding that the opinions were exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). During the case filed by Ryan & Company, Trisha C. Fortune,
a Principal in the Firm, testifies as to the important guidance these opinions provide,
allowing taxpayers to determine the proper taxability of their sales and purchases,
helping to ensure that all taxpayers receive fair treatment under the statute.
Principal Bernie Johnson, one of the Founders of JohnBernard, LLC, retires after 38 years in the
state and local tax business. Mr. Johnson built the market-leading tax practice in the Midwest
that Ryan & Company acquired in September of 2006 and played an instrumental role in the successful
integration into the Firm. Mr. Johnson successfully led the continued strong growth of Ryan & Company
in the Midwest region of the United States and Canada since the acquisition.
In October, Ryan & Company launches a new name and brand to reflect the Firm’s strategic
vision and successful merger integration of several leading tax consulting firms that were
acquired in 2006. The new brand and logo reflect the combined strength and added value
that the fully integrated Firm will provide global Fortune 1000 corporations, representing
a value proposition that is far greater than the industry-leading tax recovery services
that the Firm is internationally recognized for. The Firm moves forward with a renewed
focus on their clients' overall tax performance—providing innovative solutions to the
underlying causes of tax errors—and creating greater opportunity for clients to measure
and improve efficiency, become more strategic in their approach to tax, and deliver
outstanding value to their shareholders.
In November, Ryan is honored at the 17
th
Annual Dallas 100
TM Awards Ceremony as the 7
th
fastest growing private company in Dallas/Fort Worth. Sponsored by SMU’s Cox School of
Business, this is the premier business recognition event in the region and honors the
100 fastest-growing privately held companies based on a three-year sales history from
2004 through 2006 reflecting growth, a strong credit history, and outstanding company
character.
November marked the hiring of David English, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, to
ensure that Ryan’s global expansion, additional value-added services, and accelerated revenue
growth are accompanied by continued and increased profitability.
Also in November, Ryan signs the lease on a new, 25,000 square foot Canadian Headquarters
location in Mississauga, Ontario. This state-of-the-art new facility will support the continued
aggressive growth of Ryan’s Canadian operations and includes a new 1,900 square foot training
and seminar room that seats 80 people. This more than doubles the Firm’s capacity to seat
accounting and finance professionals in its nationally recognized sales tax training
programs.
In December, Ryan adds two new Principals by promoting Dave Naney and Jim Crandall to the
leadership team. The Firm ends 2007 with more than 725 professionals and associates,
46 Principals and five Corporate Officers, and revenues of $150 million.