Ryan McDermott is an investment banker focused on corporate advisory at Evercore Partners. Before his career in finance, Ryan served six years on active duty as an infantry officer in the United States Army. He was stationed at Fort Stewart, Georgia with the 3rd Infantry Division from 2001 until 2006 and deployed to Kuwait in January of 2003 in preparation for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ryan’s unit was one of the first to cross the Kuwaiti border into Iraq in the early morning hours on March 20, 2003.  His platoon secured the Army’s central crossing point over the Euphrates River in route to Baghdad and was the first unit to reach the tarmac at the formerly-named Saddam Hussein International Airport. Ryan completed follow-on stateside assignments as an Assistant Brigade Operations officer and as a Rear Detachment commander. Among his military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal with ‘V’ device and Ranger tab. Ryan is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Darden Graduate School of Business. He lives with his family in New York City.