Ryan Anderson, Associate

• Closed several M&A and capital raise transactions for software companies while at BMO / Cowen
• Played Division 1 college baseball at Holy Cross
• Appreciates passionate entrepreneurs who have the vision to take their business to the next level

 

Growing up 45 minutes south of Boston, Ryan shared a very common bond among his schoolmates: he was a die-hard Boston sports fan. Whether it was the Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins or Celtics, one could ask Ryan a simple question about the team, and instead of a simple response, he would rattle on about how the team was doing, where it was in the standings, and some of his favorite players’ stats. Ryan’s first memory of Boston sports (as he recalls it, at least) was in 1996, when Nomar Garciaparra had his first major league hit — a home run. That moment right then is what drove Ryan’s passion for the game of baseball.

“I remember watching Nomar in his rookie year and he just loved playing baseball. Even at a young age, I was jealous of him for doing something he was so passionate about, and I wanted to be just like him: a baseball player who loved playing the game.”

While the whole baseball thing didn’t work out for Ryan — he did play Division 1 baseball at Holy Cross, but his career was derailed by injuries (and insufficient skill) — he took a lesson from his all-time favorite baseball player.

“It took me a little longer to figure out than I would have liked, but I realized I didn’t have to be a professional baseball player to be passionate about what I do — there were other things I enjoyed. The trouble was finding out exactly what that was.”

Having always enjoyed his math, accounting and finance courses, Ryan joined Cowen and Company, a middle market investment bank, shortly after graduating in 2009. He focused on M&A and capital raise transactions for software companies. About a year after starting, Ryan joined his boss in his move to BMO Capital Markets — another middle market investment bank — to start the technology practice.

In August 2011, Ryan joined Volition Capital as an associate, where he is responsible for identifying and developing technology-related growth equity opportunities across numerous sectors.

“Looking back on it, I feel incredibly fortunate for the time I spent at Cowen / BMO. Despite market turmoil during a large portion of my tenure, I don’t think I could have learned as much anywhere else. I took what I learned there, and when I met the Volition team, I knew this was the right step for me: they were extremely smart, dedicated and, most importantly, passionate about what they do.”

Ryan enjoys playing golf and tennis, spending time with friends and family, and is a devoted Boston sports fan.