Ryan Riordan

Ryan Riordan is a Professor of Finance at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business, holding dual roles as Research Director of the Institute for Sustainable Finance and Head of the Institute of Financial Innovation and Technology at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich. He specializes in financial technology, climate finance, and high-frequency trading systems. His research examines technology’s dual role in stabilizing markets versus exacerbating instability through misapplication.

Academically, he holds a PhD (summa cum laude) from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and MBA/Commerce degrees from Carleton University. Prior to academia, he worked as a trader and risk manager at HSBC in Germany.

Research interests focus on: 1) Climate finance’s impact on asset pricing and liquidity, 2) High-frequency trading’s role in market quality, and 3) Cryptocurrency liquidity dynamics. His work appears in top journals like the Journal of Finance and Review of Financial Studies.

Notable awards include the Bank of Canada Governor’s Award ($60K grant), Michael J. Brennan Best Paper Award ($20K prize), and multiple SSHRC grants. He advises PhD students like Saad Khan and collaborates with institutions like the Bank for International Settlements.

Teaching includes Financial Technology and Innovation courses at MBA/PhD levels. He founded Smith’s Master of Financial Innovation and Technology program. Current research projects address automated lending ethics, carbon risk assessment, and financial infrastructure security.