Ryan Ward Email & Phone Number

Seattle, Wa

Bentonville, Arkansas, Us

After dedicating 8.5 years to impactful work at the Gates Foundation, I made the decision to take a sabbatical leave in March 2023 to gain fresh perspectives and completely remodel my family's home from the ground up. This intentional break provided me with valuable time to reflect on my experiences, refine my professional goals, and explore new opportunities.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Customer-Centric Product Development: Spearheaded development of customer-centric web applications and BI tools, focused on delivering targeted solutions and enhancing user experience.Agile Product Management: Strategically orchestrated development and execution of an agile product roadmap for an organization-wide E2E investment and portfolio management system, managing a comprehensive reporting suite for a $7B portfolio. Harmonized inputs from diverse stakeholders, employed user feedback and data analytics to drive continuous product improvements, expedited time-to-market, and aligned with evolving user needs and organizational objectives.Innovative Product Lifecycle Management: Expertly navigated the full spectrum of the product lifecycle, from ideation to market launch. Focused on aligning product initiatives with evolving customer demands and broader business goals, while adeptly balancing technical innovation with operational efficiency.Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilized advanced data analytics to inform strategic decisions, translating complex technical data into actionable insights for leadership. Led the team in identifying and resolving system bottlenecks to enhance operational efficiency.Cross-Functional Collaboration and Communication: Acted as a key liaison between development, program, and business teams. Fostered a collaborative environment to align business/technical needs, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, customer-focused solutions.User-Centric Design and Research: Championed a user-centric approach in all project phases. Conducted extensive customer research and testing to ensure products met market demands and enhanced user satisfaction, leading to improved product adoption rates.Innovative Problem-Solving and Team Leadership: Led a diverse, cross-functional team through agile development cycles. Emphasized innovation and inclusivity, driving the team to excel in creating impactful products that consistently met evolving needs.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Innovative Web Application Development: Led the development and enhancement of a custom web application, revolutionizing portfolio visualization. Enabled detailed analysis for directors and comprehensive oversight for the executive suite on a $22B financial outlook.Strategic Financial Modeling: Developed and maintained a robust, automated foundation payout model for key executives including the CFO and CEO. Performed real-time scenario analysis to influence decision-making on a $100+ billion endowment, optimizing annual payout strategies.Data-Driven Human Capital Framework: Created a framework for executive-level human capital management during organizational restructurings. Utilized KPIs and analytics to guide decision-making, highlighting effective solutions for potential organizational shifts.Collaborative Leadership and Analysis Delivery: Worked closely with CFO and CEO to deliver critical headcount and payout analysis to leadership. Specialized in providing actionable insights and strategic recommendations, supporting high-stakes decisions.Annual Planning Coordination and Relationship Building: Orchestrated the financial aspect of the foundation’s annual planning process, liaising with operations and program teams. Fostered key relationships, guiding stakeholders towards a unified plan with executive leadership.Efficiency in Financial Reporting: Oversaw the transformation of monthly financial reporting for the ELT and Board. Streamlined processes to significantly reduce time requirements, while enhancing report accuracy and comprehensiveness.Operational Expense Management Support: Assisted various business teams in navigating changes in reporting, policy, and leadership, particularly during financial transitions. Provided guidance on complex financial concepts, catering to diverse levels of financial understanding.

Seattle, Wa, Us

Seattle, Wa, Us

• Created and instituted revamped marketing strategy for the organization’s major partnership in order to build organic buy-in from stakeholders by unifying and more succinctly communicating the partnership’s objectives• Collaborated with executive team to pinpoint reasons for backlash, overcome those objections, and better align the actions of the organization to prepare for and mitigate the risk of future issues• Led digital media campaign in the manufacture of video, photos, and blog posts in order to increase awareness and drive fundraising

Washington, Dc, Us

• Provided strategic business solutions to clients requiring in-depth analysis of disparate operational, financial, and transactional datasets• Calculated damages, ascertained class certification, performed complex data analysis, and conducted financial modeling in high profile litigation cases and SEC/DOJ investigations utilizing tools such as MS Access, SQL, VBA, Bloomberg, Tableau, and Oracle

Master Of Business Administration (M.B.A.), Finance

Bachelor Of Arts (B.A.), Accounting And Finance