Meet the team.

Ryan holds an MBA from Yale University’s School of Management. After beginning his career in the pulp and paper industry for Abitibi Price, he spent the next decade working for the telecommunications industry, where he held various executive positions in marketing and customer services at Bell Canada and Videotron.

An expert in marketing and demand generation in the fields of economic development and business development, Ryan is recognized as an inspiring and passionate leader with extensive experience managing marketing, customer services and multidisciplinary teams.

Ryan joined ROI in 2013 as a partner and Vice President of operations. Under Ryan’s leadership, ROI implemented a unique five step quality process, including a modern economic development certification program which is now mandatory for every ROI team member.

Shannon is a graduate of Wayne State University and obtained her Master’s degree in International Business with a focus on German speaking countries from Eastern Michigan University.

She began her career with an executive search consultancy focused on European clients in North America where Shannon held roles in research and client support. With the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC), she supported German-based companies with their market entry strategies across the Midwestern United States.

In 2020, she joined ROI as the VP of Business Development and manages the firm’s business development for the U.S. market in addition to working with clients globally. A client-centric business development expert, Shannon is also responsible for coordinating sales outreach efforts and representing ROI at trade shows and conferences.

Hesam Houryaband has a Ph.D. in International Relations and Diplomacy, received from the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies (CEDS), as well as an Honorary Ph.D. in International Relations, from Paris Graduate School.

Hesam joined ROI in October 2014 as an Economic Development Associate. Over time, he was promoted to Operations Manager, Economic Development Manager, Director of International Development & Strategy, and finally Vice-President, Client Services. Hesam is overseeing ROI’s Ontario operations and managing a team of associates and managers.

During his tenure at ROI, Hesam has assisted in numerous governmental delegations’ international visits, managed relationships and mandates with public economic development entities, as well as act as an in-market representative, and has led corporate growth opportunity identification and validation.

Mariana, a full-stack marketing professional, brings to the table 15 years of experience in creating innovative and captivating marketing campaigns. As a key figure at ROI Digital Labs, she not only oversees the team but also leads the artistic and strategic vision of client projects. Her background includes a rich blend of illustration, graphic design, and extensive knowledge in marketing automation and paid advertising. Leveraging her comprehensive understanding of HTML and CSS coding, Mariana effectively directs her team to craft high-converting custom pages and emails.

Laura is an accomplished location marketing expert with over 10 years of global experience in both private and public sectors. Before joining ROI, she served as Global Director of Training and Events at Conway Data, Inc. There, Laura produced top-rated courses, training investment professionals from 50+ countries. She specialized in investment promotion marketing and investor communication, and led Conway’s event division, managing various events including their flagship, the World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment. She has organized successful events across five continents, including cities like Sydney, Philadelphia, Sharjah, Edinburgh, and Madagascar.