Pat Ryan
Chairman & CEO – Ryan Specialty Group, LLC

Pat Ryan founded and is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aon Corporation, the largest insurance and reinsurance broker in the world, and a leader in human capital consulting. Ryan started as an entrepreneur, founding an insurance agency that grew to become Aon, which today operates with more than 500 offices in 120 countries. Most recently, Ryan served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chicago 2016, where he led the U.S. bid to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Ryan recently stepped down after 14 years as Chairman of the board of trustees of Northwestern University, where he continues to serve as a trustee. He is also an owner/director of the Chicago Bears Football Club and Chairman of World Sport Chicago. Ryan has received a number of accolades throughout his career. In June, 2009, Ryan was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from his alma mater, Northwestern University. In 2008, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, one of the nation's oldest and most prestigious honorary societies and independent research centers. He was also inducted into the International Insurance Society Hall of Fame. Ryan has received the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Award and the Order of Lincoln Medallion, the highest award granted by the State of Illinois.