Jun 24 2024 56 mins
Hessie Jones met Ryan Pannell over a decade ago when she first ventured into entrepreneurship. At that time, he was an executive producer and it was the film industry where he began his career, working his way up to be a writer, producer and director. He directed his first feature film, Dragon City, when he was 26 years old.
In 2001 he moved into startup and pioneered cryptographic web-based messaging technology that made a significant impact in enterprise banking, and Big Tech including VISA, Microsoft and Bank of Scotland.
He also developed traumatic brain injury software circa 2021 that has saved many lives in parts of the US.
Ryan Pannell successfully navigated three major career pivots over his diverse professional journey. In the process he has gained prominence through his work and has advised enterprises like NVIDIA, Scotiabank, the U.S. DoD and Google.
In 2013, Pannell pivoted again, shifting his focus to the world of finance. He now serves as the CEO and Global Chair of Kaiju Worldwide, a hedge fund management firm with operations that span across three continents. This is not a normal fund management company. It is a unique blend of quantitative analysis, behavioral finance, quantum mechanics, and artificial intelligence.
Ryan’s also a philanthropist with a strong commitment to ocean conservation. He’s also donated his time and resources to local schools including providing tablets to underprivileged youth.
Pannell has successfully pivoted across multiple industries, from film/TV production to tech startups, cryptography, and now finance and predictive AI. His journey is a testimony to his unique ability to entrench himself in a new vertical, identify problems and successfully execute.