Ryan was recruited to the Commissioner's position following the controversial Royal Commission into the New South Wales Police Service (Wood Royal Commission) into police corruption that ran from 1995 to 1997.
[4] Some aspects of the new contract were kept secret but the controversy over it caused it to be released in its entirety, and a parliamentary enquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding its signing.
[4] He resigned from the New South Wales Police Service in 2002, two years early, and received a payout of $455,000—12 months' salary.
He has a master's degree in science and an honorary doctorate in law from Macquarie University, Sydney.
[9] While she continued to reside in Australia with their two adult daughters, Ryan moved back to the United Kingdom.