Mr John Ryan OAM

Mr John Ryan OAM is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of Penington Institute and a leading voice in Australian public health and drug policy. His career spans more than 25 years across frontline community services, research, government, policy and international advocacy. It began at Monash University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws.

Mr Ryan's career has taken him a long way from the lecture theatre, but the curiosity, critical thinking and understanding of people that shaped his education at Monash have remained central to his work. He began on the frontline, including working in needle and syringe programs with people affected by drug use. That experience gave him a lasting commitment to ensuring that policy is grounded not only in evidence, but in the realities of people's lives.

In 2000, Mr Ryan became Chief Executive Officer of Anex, an organisation that evolved into Penington Institute in 2013. Today, he leads an independent organisation that brings together research, education, policy and public engagement to improve understanding of drugs and their impacts. Under his leadership, Penington Institute has become a prominent national authority on overdose and drug policy, producing Australia's Annual Overdose Report and leading International Overdose Awareness Day, now a global campaign reaching communities around the world.

Mr Ryan has advised governments across Australia and internationally and contributed to significant public policy processes, including chairing the Victorian Government's independent review of the Medically Supervised Injecting Room in North Richmond. He has also held leadership and advisory roles internationally, including serving as President of Harm Reduction International. In 2012, he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to examine public health approaches to drug policy in other countries.

Throughout his career, Mr Ryan has worked in areas where the answers are rarely simple and where changing minds is as important as changing policy. He has consistently advocated for evidence, practical experience and compassion, often in the face of strong political and public debate.

In 2026, Mr Ryan's contribution to community health was recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).

For today's graduates, Mr Ryan’s journey offers a powerful reminder of where an Arts education can lead. It is a story about curiosity put into action, about having the courage to question assumptions, and about using knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others.