George Brinton "Brint" Ryan, or G. Brint Ryan, is an American tax consultant and entrepreneur. His firm, Ryan LLC, is based in Dallas. Ryan is the chairman and chief executive officer of Ryan LLC, which advises companies on tax matters. As of 2022, the company was the largest indirect tax and property tax practice in North America and the seventh largest corporate tax company in the United States, with annual revenues of over $700 million.
Early life and education
Ryan was born George Brinton Ryan in Big Spring, Texas. He is a seventh-generation Irish American and his ancestors fought in the American Revolutionary War. His first job was a newspaper carrier for the Big Spring Herald. He also worked at Safeway Inc. sacking groceries. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees in accounting with an emphasis in taxation from the University of North Texas. He was inducted into the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity in 1983. Ryan became house corporation president of the Epsilon Delta Chapter at the University of North Texas.
Career
Ryan LLC
Ryan worked at Coopers & Lybrand, now PricewaterhouseCoopers, as a public accountant in 1989. He founded Ryan LLC as a CPA firm in 1991. By the end of 1997, Ryan had helped to grow the company to 75 employees, added new offerings, and increased the number of clients outside of Texas. By 2010, the company had grown to 42 locations across North America and the United Kingdom and recovered nearly $1.5 billion for its clients.
While serving as CEO and chairman of Ryan LLC, he has received numerous awards. In 2011, Ryan was named one of Texas Monthly's 25 Most Powerful Texans. Irish America honored him on its Business 100 list for Irish-American leaders in 2013 and 2015. In 2014, he won a Stevie award for Executive of the Year in Accounting. In 2017, Ryan received the Wings of Eagles Presidential Award from the University of North Texas for his impact on the University. That same year, he was also ranked number 44 in the Glassdoor Highest Rated CEO's Employee Choice Rankings for a large company, and was included in the Dallas 500 list of most powerful business leaders in Dallas by D Magazine, and Irish America's Wall Street 50 list. In 2018, Ryan was named as one of Dallas Business Journal's Most Admired CEOs in North Texas.
In 2019, Ryan was selected for membership to the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. That same year, he was also named to the 2020 Dallas 500 List of Most Influential Business Leaders by D CEO Magazine.
In 2021, Ryan was recognized by Glassdoor as the second highest rated CEO during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In 2022, Ryan was named to D CEO’s 2022 Dallas 500 List. This annual publication profiles the most influential business, civic, and nonprofit leaders in North Texas from a wide range spectrum of industries. In that same year, Ryan received the inaugural Career Achievement Award at the 2022 Dallas Business Journal Most Admired CEO’s event for his professional and civic achievements.
As of 2022, Ryan LLC has 113 locations, which includes operations in Singapore, Australia, Canada, India, the Netherlands, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and others, with an annual revenue of over $700 million.
Settles Hotel Development Company
Ryan formed the Settles Hotel Development Company in 2006. He purchased the Settles Hotel in Big Spring, Texas for $75,000 and restored it. The restoration took six years and $30 million, opening in December 2012. Ryan used old photographs and blueprints to closely replicate the original design of the 15-story hotel. He also purchased four city blocks in Big Spring, including the Ritz movie theatre on Main Street and an old bus depot. Ryan is also involved in the planned restoration of the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells, Texas.
Public service and board appointments
Ryan serves on the executive committee of the board of directors of the Texas Association of Business, and the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Institute for Professionals in Taxation, the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Dallas Citizens Council. He is on the affiliate board of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, the Junior League of Dallas Community Advisory Board, and the American Heart Association Board of Directors. He was appointed to serve on the Taxpayer Advisory Group by Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Susan Combs. Ryan is the vice president of the Pi Kappa Alpha Foundation. Ryan served on the advisory council for Habitat for Humanity in Dallas and Dream Dallas.