[1] While a teacher at Brisbane's Nudgee College in 1999, he helped launch a mobile food van to serve the needs of the local homeless community.
[1][4] At the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics in Canada, Ryan became a silver medallist as a member of the Australian Men's 4 × 400 m relay team along with his teammates Mark Garner, Dean Capobianco and Steve Perry.
[citation needed] From 2010 to 2016, Ryan was involved with the Edmund Rice Foundation where he served as chief executive officer from 2012 to 2016 where he is credited with helping the organisation achieve financial growth.
[7][8] In September 2021, it was announced Ryan would be appointed as the chief executive officer of Brisbane City Council's Economic Development Agency.
[9] According to Brisbane's lord mayor Adrian Schrinner, Ryan was chosen from a field of approximately 100 candidates for the role which will see him attempt to ensure the 2032 Summer Olympics are used to the advantage of the city's economy.