Ryan Davis

Managing Director, Tiger Valuation Services, LLC

40 Under 40 Category: Liquidation/Appraisal/Auctioneer

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Biography:

Ryan Davis is the managing director of Tiger Valuation Services, where he oversees approximately 50 people located across Tiger’s offices in Boston, New York, and Los Angeles. Since Ryan took the helm of the Valuation Services division in 2013, the business has achieved more than 15 percent annual growth and the team has tripled in size.  Ryan’s team is now responsible for the valuation of more than $25.0 billion of retail, wholesale, and industrial assets annually.

In addition to his role in the appraisal division, Ryan also participates in Tiger’s investments and liquidations. In February 2019, Tiger purchased Advanced Sports, Inc. (renamed BikeCo, LLC) as a turnaround; Ryan served as the interim CEO of the company, where he set a strategic vision and successfully led the efforts to streamline operations, preserve the customer base, and save 40-plus jobs. Tiger sold its stake in BikeCo in September 2019. Ryan has also spearheaded Tiger’s use of Amazon as a liquidation channel; the successful liquidation of Shoes.com is one example. 

Ryan graduated from the University of Vermont and joined Tiger in 2006.

How do you define a good leader?

I believe that different situations call for different types of leadership; however, a good leader operates with a vision, empowers the team, and acts with integrity in all situations.

The strongest leaders I’ve observed typically operate with a very clear vision – which could be defined as a goal or set of goals – and communicate that vision to the team. When the whole team takes ownership of the vision and is working towards an end goal, then the group can collectively come up with an execution plan. The benefit of the team being oriented to a goal rather than just following a step-by-step plan is that, when an issue arises, a goal-oriented team can dynamically work around it, whereas a team following a preset plan is likely to get stuck. 

Once a vision is set, empowering the team to execute on it can result in an virtuous cycle of growth on a product, team, and individual level. When a team is balanced and working together, it can achieve far more as a group than the members could have as individuals. Some of the most rewarding professional experiences I’ve had were when the team collectively overcame an obstacle that no individual could have solved. It has been my experience that, in order to achieve team success, the leader must assign individual responsibility, establish a system of accountability, and provide all team members with a support structure. At Tiger, we operate with an inverted org chart – wherein the managers sit below those that report to them – as a reminder that the managers’ role is to support and empower their colleagues.  

Aside from achieving operational excellence, good leaders also set the principles of the organization, which form the foundation of the relationships both within the team and with clients. In my opinion, integrity is one of the most critical principles; integrity means prioritizing the team and the business over one’s self and being direct and honest about one’s intentions. Although cliché, the saying “Trust is gained in drops and lost in buckets” is a great reminder of how integrity in all decisions is absolutely essential.

What advice do you normally give to the junior talent you mentor?

I have been fortunate to have some amazing teachers – both at Tiger and in my personal life – that have provided me a substantial amount of guidance. There are two simple pieces of advice that I’ve found extremely useful in my career. The first is that communication is critical, both professionally and personally. In my experience, strong communication is the backbone of team success; it can be the conduit to solving tough problems and it can even help to absolve mistakes. Poor communication, on the other hand, is such a strong force that it can negate incredible work and hamper relationships. 

The other advice we give all team members is to take pride in their work and to put their full energy into achieving their goals. I’ve seen both extremely talented individuals and well-positioned companies lose their edge by taking work quality for granted; in a competitive environment, one must always strive to execute at the highest possible level. Of those I’ve worked with, the most successful people have set their own standards considerably higher than those that were set for them.