Meet Our Knoxville Office Leader
Ryan is the Managing Director in Knoxville, TN, where he leads daily operations and a team that partners with clients across 40+ states, helping them maximize the returns on their employee benefit investments.
Ryan began his career in sales, transitioned to information technology, and later returned to sales with an ancillary insurance carrier. His passion for helping clients proved successful, leading to a promotion to District Sales Coordinator, where he earned recognition for his leadership and achievements. It was in this role that he met Debbie Perry, who invited him to help grow her employee benefits firm, which became part of Higginbotham in 2022.
Ryan works with businesses of all sizes and has extensive experience working with private equity firms to coordinate the analysis, implementation and harmonization of benefits across multiple companies. A key initiative Ryan leads is the T.E.A.C.H. program, which helps employees understand rising health care costs and what they can do to help control them. He’s also passionate about improving employee communications, particularly through creating customized videos and client-specific microsites to enhance employees’ understanding of their benefits.
Ryan goes beyond the traditional focus on renewal, with a commitment to providing year-round support and serving as an extension of his clients’ HR departments. He strives to ensure that clients have full confidence in their benefits plans so they can focus on other priorities.
A graduate of Brigham Young University, Ryan is actively involved in his local church and has volunteered for years with a local Boy Scout troop. Ryan supports causes like Folds of Honor and the Wounded Warrior Project and has helped facilitate multiple fundraising efforts for these organizations. He is also a proud member of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals.
Ryan and his wife, Heather, have two children, Addison and Riley. In his free time, Ryan enjoys outdoor activities like wakeboarding and off-roading. He is also a pilot, having recently earned his Private Pilot Certificate.
