John Ryan
Chief Executive Officer

John is a leader in public health and safety and the inaugural CEO of Penington Institute.

He actively works to promote sensible approaches to drug use in the community.

John has held numerous non-executive director roles in policy, legal and health related organisations in Australia and internationally. He has also worked as a university researcher, government policymaker, and in frontline service delivery as a needle and syringe program worker.

John has provided non-partisan advice to state and federal governments and was until early 2023 the Chair of the Medically Supervised Injecting Room Review Panel, appointed by the Victorian Government.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from Monash University. In 2012, he received a Churchill Fellowship to study ways to enhance public health approaches to drug policy.