MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Ryan Companies welcomes Troy Zierden as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Peter Fitzgerald as the Vice President of Real Estate Development.Zierden succeeds Kevin McCloughan, who retired earlier this year. As CIO, Zierden will lead the information technology team and accelerate the company’s vision to modernize, transform, and drive operational excellence through technology solutions.

“Troy’s impressive background and passion in transforming businesses through the utilization of technology solutions will help Ryan evolve as we continue our tremendous growth,” said Lisa Kro, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, Ryan Companies. “We’re in the business of creating places for people to thrive, and we can only do that with visionary leaders like Troy who will help us take Ryan to the next level.”

Zierden will be based in Minneapolis, Ryan's headquarters. He will play a role in supporting the company’s growth through delivering high-performance information systems and infrastructure. This includes optimizing the company’s use of technology while identifying cost and productivity improvements.

Zierden joins the Ryan senior leadership team with more than 25 years of IT experience. He has experience with transforming organizations and maximizing technology to meet the needs of the organization and its customers. Most recently, Zierden was Vice President of Application Development at Best Buy, leading the technology team for the Geek Squad Services, Best Buy Business, Customer Care, and In-Home Consultation channels.

Zierden holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Minnesota State University Moorhead. He is an active board member of Greater Twin Cities United Way.

In his role as Vice President of Real Estate Development, Fitzgerald will support several projects in the company's north region and will drive development strategy for corporate office and build-to-suit projects.

“At Ryan, we strive to create impactful outcomes for the clients and communities we serve, and Peter’s forward-thinking approach will help grow our office and build-to-suit development platform,” said Tony Barranco, North Region President, Ryan Companies. “We’re thrilled to have Peter join the Ryan family and look forward to seeing him in action.”

Based in Minneapolis, Fitzgerald will start lending his expertise to leasing and development execution at 10 West End and development of office components at Highland Bridge, as well as a variety of sectors and sites within the north region.

Fitzgerald joins Ryan with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. Most recently, he was the Executive Managing Director for Cushman & Wakefield. Fitzgerald has been recognized consistently by Cushman & Wakefield as a top producer. Prior to Cushman & Wakefield, Fitzgerald founded Concord Commercial Real Estate where he advised clients on several Twin Cities redevelopments including the West End Office Park and 510 Marquette.

Fitzgerald holds a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from Rollins College and is an active member of the Minnesota Commercial Association of Real Estate.