George Ryan (Antiguan businessman)
Sir George Ryan KGCN GCM | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 18th 1934 Plymouth, Montserrat |
| Nationality | Montserratian, Antiguan |
| Occupation(s) | Contractor, Businessman, Philanthropist |
| Spouse | Lady N. Joycelyn Ryan (1991 - present) |
Sir George Ryan KGCN GCM (born June 18, 1934) is a Montserrat-born Antiguan contractor, businessman and philanthropist based in Antigua and Barbuda.[1][2]
Early life and career[edit]
Ryan was born in Plymouth, Montserrat, in 1934. In the 1950s, he moved to Antigua to work with Reverend Jack Piper as a mason's apprentice to assist in building the St. John's Pentecostal Church in Antigua.[3] After working on the church, he later apprenticed at many local Antiguan construction companies before founding Ryan's Construction in 1965. He went on to establish Antigua Plumbing and Hardware Centre Ltd. and Antigua Motors 1974 Ltd., City View Hotel, and Ryan’s Place. By 2006, the size of his business holdings expanded to the point of him being named one of the twelve largest investors in Antigua by sales volume.[4]
He is also an active philanthropist donating to the state, arts as well as the misfortunate.[5][6][7] He was involved in several government-commissioned projects throughout the 70s and 80s such as building stands first ever test match at the Antigua Recreation Ground, refurbishing the St. John’s Police Station, donating the first set of police motor vehicles to the state, as well as major renovation and construction at the Antigua State College for a period of 15 years.[3]
Personal life[edit]
Ryan has seven children, including George-Ann Ryan who is Chief Financial Officer of the Sadie Collective and Paul Ryan who is The First Indonesian Honorary Consul to Antigua and Barbuda. He has been married to Lady N. Joycelyn Ryan since 1991.[8]
Awards and honors[edit]
In 2005, Ryan was awarded the Grand Cross (GCM) in the Most Illustrious Order of Merit. In 2018, he was awarded the honor of Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation (KCN), Antigua's highest award of distinction second only to National Hero status, for contributions to the business landscape and economic development in celebration of the island's 37th anniversary of independence.[3][9][10]
References[edit]
- ^ "Antigua's Durable Prime Minister Adept at Dodging Political Bullets". Los Angeles Times. 1992-07-05. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ "George Ryan: Defying Time". Business Focus Antigua. June 2017.
- ^ a b c DiscoverMNITeam (2018-11-02). "Montserratian Knighted in Antigua & Barbuda". Discover Montserrat. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ "Caribbean Rim - OECD Investment Policy Reviews - OECD". www.oecd.org. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ "Businessman Donates Home To Motherless Children | ABS TV Radio Antigua & Barbuda". abstvradio.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ "International and Caribbean Cast for Latest HAMAFilms Movie, Deep Blue". HAMAFilms Antigua. 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ "Antigua News: Rotary donates new home to Andre Hughes". www.antiguanice.com. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ Paula, Lee (June 7, 2017). "Season 6 -George Ryan Mastermind behind a hardware company, a car dealership and real estate".
- ^ "Two knights among Independence Awardees". Antigua Observer Newspaper. 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2020-06-05.
- ^ "Two Wealthy Businessmen Receive Knighthoods For Contributions to National Development". Antigua News Room. 2018-11-01. Retrieved 2020-06-05.