Kevin P. Ryan
Encyclopedia
Kevin P. Ryan is an Internet executive and entrepreneur in New York City's Silicon Alley
. He serves as the Founder and CEO of Gilt Groupe
and prior to November 2010, he was the company's Executive Chairman.
Ryan was CEO of DoubleClick
, which he joined in 1996, and over the next nine years built into a multi-billion dollar global industry leader. Under his direction, DoubleClick
was awarded the title of New York Company of the Year by The Silicon Silicon Alley Reporter.
Ryan was named one of the "50 Most Influential Business People" by Crain's New York Business. DoubleClick
was sold in 2005 for $1.1 billion to Hellman and Friedman LLC, and Ryan stepped down as CEO shortly thereafter. DoubleClick was acquired by Google for $3.1 billion in March 2008. After leaving DoubleClick, Ryan, along with former DoubleClick CTO and co-founder, Dwight Merriman
, founded AlleyCorp, a network of four affiliated Internet companies of which he is Chairman and CEO.
Ryan and Merriman branched into other lifestyle genres including Gilt City, a nationwide local services and experiences leader, and Jetsetter. Gilt Groupe has raised nearly $80 million to date; its investors include Matrix Partners
and General Atlantic Partners.
for $450 million in 2002.
, Ryan launched the Dilbert
Web site, based on the popular comic strip created by Scott Adams. Serving as Senior VP of Business and Finance, he helped lead a restructuring effort that increased United Media's profits fivefold. Ryan spent time with Euro Disney in France, and as an investment banker with Prudential Investment Corporation in the US and the UK.
, The NYC Investment Fund and INSEAD
and most recently, the Partnership for New York City.
He is also a member of the Yale International Council and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has served in the past on the boards of the Direct Marketing Association, the Ad Council, Hotjobs and on the Advisory Board for Doctors Without Borders.
In June 2009, Ryan was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, LLP.
in 1985 and his M.B.A. from INSEAD
in 1990.
Silicon Alley
Silicon Alley is a nickname for an area with a concentration of Internet and new media companies in Manhattan, New York City. Originally, the term referred to the cluster of such companies extending from the Flatiron District down to SoHo and TriBeCa along the Broadway corridor, but as the location...
. He serves as the Founder and CEO of Gilt Groupe
Gilt Groupe
Gilt Groupe is a shopping website based in the United states, offering its members merchandise, clothing, home decor, delicatessen food, travel and activities. Gilt Groupe was founded in 2007 and has 3.5 million members...
and prior to November 2010, he was the company's Executive Chairman.
Ryan was CEO of DoubleClick
DoubleClick
DoubleClick is a subsidiary of Google that develops and provides Internet ad serving services. Its clients include agencies, marketers and publishers who serve customers like Microsoft, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Motorola, L'Oréal, Palm, Inc., Apple Inc., Visa USA, Nike, Carlsberg among others...
, which he joined in 1996, and over the next nine years built into a multi-billion dollar global industry leader. Under his direction, DoubleClick
DoubleClick
DoubleClick is a subsidiary of Google that develops and provides Internet ad serving services. Its clients include agencies, marketers and publishers who serve customers like Microsoft, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Motorola, L'Oréal, Palm, Inc., Apple Inc., Visa USA, Nike, Carlsberg among others...
was awarded the title of New York Company of the Year by The Silicon Silicon Alley Reporter.
Ryan was named one of the "50 Most Influential Business People" by Crain's New York Business. DoubleClick
DoubleClick
DoubleClick is a subsidiary of Google that develops and provides Internet ad serving services. Its clients include agencies, marketers and publishers who serve customers like Microsoft, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Motorola, L'Oréal, Palm, Inc., Apple Inc., Visa USA, Nike, Carlsberg among others...
was sold in 2005 for $1.1 billion to Hellman and Friedman LLC, and Ryan stepped down as CEO shortly thereafter. DoubleClick was acquired by Google for $3.1 billion in March 2008. After leaving DoubleClick, Ryan, along with former DoubleClick CTO and co-founder, Dwight Merriman
Dwight Merriman
Dwight Merriman is an Internet executive and entrepreneur in New York City's Silicon Alley. Best known for having co-founding DoubleClick together with Kevin O'Connor and serving as its CTO for 10 years, Merriman currently serves as the Founder and CEO of 10gen .DoubleClick was sold in 2005 for...
, founded AlleyCorp, a network of four affiliated Internet companies of which he is Chairman and CEO.
AlleyCorp
Current companies in the AlleyCorp network include:- The Business Insider: an online business news and analysis site that provides news, commentary and discussion on the technology, media and communications industries.
- Gilt Groupe: an online community that offers members exclusive access to coveted fashion and luxury lifestyle sample sales, events and brands.
- ShopWiki: an international shopping search engine that provides advanced Web crawling technology to help shoppers find products and make more informed buying decisions.
- 10gen: develops and supports the open source, non-relational database MongoDBMongoDBMongoDB is an open source, high-performance, schema-free, document-oriented database written in the C++ programming language...
.
Gilt Groupe
Gilt Groupe is an online retailer based in the United States. Founded by Ryan in 2007, Gilt Groupe stages online "flash sales", offering women's, men's and children's designer apparel and accessories, designer home goods and high-end travel destinations at discounted prices in a limited time sale format, typically 36 to 48 hours.Ryan and Merriman branched into other lifestyle genres including Gilt City, a nationwide local services and experiences leader, and Jetsetter. Gilt Groupe has raised nearly $80 million to date; its investors include Matrix Partners
Matrix Partners
Matrix Partners is a US based private equity investment firm focusing on venture capital investments. The firm invests in seed and early stage companies in the United States and India, particularly in the software, communications, semiconductors, data storage, Internet or wireless sectors.The firm...
and General Atlantic Partners.
The Ladders.com/Hot Jobs
Ryan is an angel investor in TheLadders.com. He also was an early investor and board member of HotJobs, which was purchased by Yahoo!Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
for $450 million in 2002.
Early career
While working at United MediaUnited Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
, Ryan launched the Dilbert
Dilbert
Dilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
Web site, based on the popular comic strip created by Scott Adams. Serving as Senior VP of Business and Finance, he helped lead a restructuring effort that increased United Media's profits fivefold. Ryan spent time with Euro Disney in France, and as an investment banker with Prudential Investment Corporation in the US and the UK.
Other
Ryan serves on the board of directors for Human Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
, The NYC Investment Fund and INSEAD
INSEAD
INSEAD is an international graduate business school and research institution. It has campuses in Europe , Asia , and the Middle East , as well as a research center in Israel...
and most recently, the Partnership for New York City.
He is also a member of the Yale International Council and the Council on Foreign Relations. He has served in the past on the boards of the Direct Marketing Association, the Ad Council, Hotjobs and on the Advisory Board for Doctors Without Borders.
In June 2009, Ryan was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, LLP.
Personal
Ryan earned his B.A. from Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1985 and his M.B.A. from INSEAD
INSEAD
INSEAD is an international graduate business school and research institution. It has campuses in Europe , Asia , and the Middle East , as well as a research center in Israel...
in 1990.
See also
- DoubleClickDoubleClickDoubleClick is a subsidiary of Google that develops and provides Internet ad serving services. Its clients include agencies, marketers and publishers who serve customers like Microsoft, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Motorola, L'Oréal, Palm, Inc., Apple Inc., Visa USA, Nike, Carlsberg among others...
- Panther ExpressPanther ExpressPanther Express is a content delivery network or "CDN" based in New York City. The company was founded in August 2005 by Dwight Merriman, Kevin P. Ryan, Ryan Nitz and Pablo Mayrgundter...
- ShopWikiShopWikiShopWiki is an Internet shopping search engine founded in 2005 and launched in early 2006. It was founded by the former DoubleClick CEO Kevin P. Ryan, the former CTO and DoubleClick co-founder Dwight Merriman and Eliot Horowitz. Their primary distinguisher is crawling the internet for stores...
- Music NationMusic NationMusic Nation is a self-described artist development company. In 2007, it attempted to gain publicity by holding an online music video competition in which the finalists would have a chance to sign recording contracts with Epic Records. Artists registering with Music Nation must submit their videos...
- Silicon Alley Insider
- 10gen10gen10gen is a software company that develops and provides commercial support for the open source database MongoDB.-Overview:10gen was founded in 2007 by former DoubleClick Founder and CTO Dwight Merriman and former DoubleClick engineer and ShopWiki Founder and CTO Eliot Horowitz...