# Patrick G. Ryan

> Patrick G. Ryan is the American insurance entrepreneur who founded Aon and later Ryan Specialty. His career began with insurance distribution through automobile dealerships and grew through brokerage acquisitions, international expansion and a second specialty insurance business founded in 2010. He is Ryan Specialty’s founder and executive chairman and a longtime Chicago civic leader and Northwestern University benefactor alongside his wife, Shirley Welsh Ryan.

- **Role:** Founder & Executive Chairman at Ryan Specialty
- **Organizations:** Ryan Specialty, Aon, Northwestern University, Chicago 2016 Olympic Bid Committee, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation
- **From:** Milwaukee, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Undergraduate degree in business; studied finance and literature, Northwestern University, School of Business, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Northwestern University
- **Known for:** Built the Aon predecessor business into a global broker with more than 500 offices in 120 countries at his retirement., Founded Ryan Specialty in 2010 and led it through its 2021 IPO., Received the Horatio Alger Award in 1987.

## Career timeline

- **1959** — Graduated from Northwestern University; subsequently joined Penn Mutual in Chicago as a life insurance agent.
- **1962** — Established a finance and insurance department at Dick Fencl Chevrolet in suburban Chicago.
- **1964** — Founded Pat Ryan & Associates.
- **1968** — His firm was selling $15 million in insurance premiums annually.
- **1971** — Took his firm public to support diversification.
- **1976** — Acquired Globe Life and four insurance brokerage businesses.
- **1981** — Acquired the James S. Kemper insurance agencies.
- **1982** — Ryan Insurance Group merged with Combined International.
- **1987** — The combined company adopted the Aon name.
- **2005** — Stepped down as Aon CEO; continued as chairman.
- **2008** — Retired from Aon.
- **2009** — Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics, which he led, was eliminated in the first voting round.
- **2010** — Founded Ryan Specialty.
- **2019** — Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
- **2020** — Ryan Specialty completed its merger with All Risks.
- **2021** — Ryan Specialty held its IPO; the Ryan family announced a $480 million Northwestern gift.
- **2024** — Became Ryan Specialty executive chairman on October 1 as Tim Turner became CEO.

## Achievements

- Built the Aon predecessor business into a global broker with more than 500 offices in 120 countries at his retirement.
- Founded Ryan Specialty in 2010 and led it through its 2021 IPO.
- Received the Horatio Alger Award in 1987.
- Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the International Insurance Hall of Fame in 2008.
- Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2019.
- Served 14 years as chairman of Northwestern University’s Board of Trustees.
- The Ryan family’s $480 million Northwestern gift in 2021 was the university’s largest single gift at the time.
- Received United Way of Metro Chicago’s Andrew J. McKenna Leadership Award in 2023.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Ryan Specialty’s RT Binding Authority market update cited his assessment of exceptional property-market volatility across his more than 60 years in insurance.
- **2026-03** — Ryan Specialty’s 2026 proxy statement identifies him as executive chairman.
- **2025-12** — Appeared in a two-part Insurer TV interview about his early ventures, insurance career and leadership philosophy.
- **2024-10** — Transitioned from CEO to executive chairman of Ryan Specialty, with Tim Turner succeeding him as CEO.

## Links

- Website: https://ryanspecialty.com/leader/patrick-g-ryan/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/patrick-g-ryan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15