Major General Mick Ryan graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1989 as a Combat Engineer. Early career highlights include: serving with the 6RAR Battalion Group in East Timor in 2000; in 2003, being the lead planner for development of the first ADF Network Centric Warfare Roadmap; and in 2005, serving as the Deputy J3 for the MultiNational Security Transition Command – Iraq, Baghdad.
Major General Ryan has a Bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies from the University of New England and is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force School of Languages. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and a graduate of the USMC School of Advanced Warfighting. In 2012, he graduated with distinction from the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies, earning a Master’s in International Public Policy.
Major General Ryan has deep experience the fields of strategy, interagency and joint operations, command and leadership as well as professional military education. He possesses a long-standing interest in national and military strategy, military history, as well as organizational innovation and adaptation. He is President of the Defence Entrepreneurs Forum (Australia), an undertaking to nurture innovation in the ADF’s junior leaders. He is a proud Member of the Military Writers Guild. Major General Ryan was appointed Commander, Australian Defence College in January 2018.
In this episode, he talks about topics such as the Aukus pact, reconfiguring supply chains after the pandemic, the role of Australia in the evolving geopolitical landscape and more.