Dan Primack has seized on a great nugget of detail about Mitt Romney’s decision to pick Paul Ryan for his VP slot: Ryan’s older brother, Tobin Ryan, is a private equity executive who used to work at Bain and Company, the consulting firm that spawned Romney’s Bain Capital.
According to his biography at his current employer, Seidler Equity Partners, Tobin Ryan is “involved in all investment activities, including strategy development, process improvement, performance measurement and decision support analysis” at the California-based private equity firm. Before joining Seidler, the elder Ryan worked for GE, King Equity, and a chemical maker called Tomah Products. And before that, he was a management consultant with Bain.
Now, before you go crying conspiracy, keep in mind: Tobin Ryan didn’t work at Bain & Co. at the same time as Romney, according to Primack.
Plus, it’s not like he had a choice of profession. Under a little-known federal regulation, people born with Tobin’s dreamy blue eyes, chiseled jaw, and salt-and-pepper hair are legally required to work in private equity.
