SPEAKERS

Richard P. Ryan serves as the Director of Security and Senior Advisor to the CEO of King Salman Park Foundation which is developing a 16 square kilometer site in central Riyadh that will include one of the world’s largest urban parks, residential properties, office buildings, retail and F&B outlets, entertainment facilities, MICE, and numerous museums and cultural attractions, among other things. King Salman Park is one of the key giga projects under the 2030 Vision for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Mr. Ryan previously served as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Legal Attache on two occasions in Saudi Arabia, acting as the FBI Director of Operations in the Middle East, to include Yemen, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Prior to that, Mr. Ryan was also the FBI Legal Attache in Beijing, China (and Mongolia), Hong Kong (Taiwan and Macau), and Algeria (Tunisia, Niger, and Libya. Mr. Ryan served as an FBI Special Agent for over two decades, leading various criminal, national security, and financial Divisions within the FBI.

• John E. Dolibois European University, Luxembourg - Economics - 1991
• Miami University, Oxford, Ohio - Business & Psychology - 1993
• Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Mgt – Business Leadership & Management Program
• FBI Adjunct Faculty Program Instructor, University of Virginia – 2009 – 2023

• Developed the first defensive cyber, explosives, and joint bi-lateral initiatives in the Middle East with focus on critical national infrastructure.
• Responsible for the capture of an FBI Most Wanted Terrorist in a foreign country by building and establishing foreign partnerships and relations.
• Successful investigations resulting in recovery and repatriation of US citizens taken hostage abroad.
• Responsible for multiple Foreign Transfers of Custody (FTOC) despite no Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) in place.
• Recipient of The US Attorney’s Award for Most Outstanding Investigation and Award of Investigative Excellence.

Dr. Douglas Brinkley is a distinguished historian and professor at Rice University, known for his expertise in U.S. presidential history. He has authored over 30 books and serves as a Presidential Historian for CNN and CBS Sunday Morning. Brinkley has received numerous honors, including a Grammy Award and seven honorary doctorates, and was called “America’s New Past Master” by the Chicago Tribune. He is a member of several prestigious organizations, such as the Council on Foreign Relations and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress. Brinkley has taught at various universities and lives in Austin, Texas, with his family.

Learn more about Dr. Douglas Brinkley at douglasbrinkley.com.

• In the spring of 2024, Brinkley was a fellow at the University of Southern California Center for the Political Future.
• In 2023, Brinkley won a Grammy Award for “Fandango At The Wall In New York” by Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, featuring the Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective (Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album).
• In 2022, Brinkley was nominated for two Grammy Award categories; for co-producing two projects: “Black Men Are Precious” by Ethelbert Miller (Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album), and “Fandango At The Wall In New York” by Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, featuring the Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective (Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album).
• On April 25, 2022, Brinkley received the Frank and Bethine Church Award for Public Service from the Frank Church Institute of Boise State University.
• In the summer of 2021, Brinkley was named the inaugural historian in residence at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
• In 2021, the Garden Club of America awarded Brinkley the Frances K. Hutchinson Medal for his distinguished service to conservation efforts.
• In 2020, Brinkley won an Audie Award for his book American Moonshot, in the History/Biography category.
• In 2020, Brinkley’s book American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race was given the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction (Longlist).
• In 2018, Brinkley was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from St Edwards University.

Tracy Ryan is President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCCI, the nation’s most experienced provider of workers compensation information, tools, and services. Under her leadership, NCCI serves nearly 40 state governments and more than 900 insurance carriers.

At NCCI, Ms. Ryan leads and oversees the delivery of the company’s core services, including gathering data, analyzing industry trends, and preparing objective insurance rate and loss cost recommendations for the workers compensation industry. These activities—together with NCCI’s research, analytical services and tools, and overall commitment to excellence—help to foster a healthy workers compensation system.

Her 30-plus years of domestic and global insurance experience include executive responsibility for business strategy, customer service, claims management, actuarial oversight, financial management, employee engagement, and strong advocacy for inclusive leadership. She most recently served as president and CEO of Allianz Commercial, North America and Latin America. She also held multiple leadership positions during her 27 years with Liberty Mutual Insurance, including most recently as president of global risk solutions, North America.

Ms. Ryan received a BS degree in mathematics from Fairfield University and a master of arts in mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is a member of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a former board member for WCRI and NCCI, where she was Board Chair from 2016–2018.

Prudence Pitter is a CHRO, Global Keynote Speaker, Workshop Facilitator, Board Member, and accomplished business executive with over 25 years of progressive HR leadership across multiple industries. She has advised Boards, led large-scale transformations, and shaped cultures that drive engagement and performance. In addition to her corporate leadership roles, and her work as a consultant, she was a former course content developer and adjunct professor of HR Management. Prudence is passionate about leadership development, employee wellbeing, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.

Learn more about Prudence Pitter at prudencepitter.com.

David Jones is a founding partner of Capitol Counsel, LLC. With over 30 years of political and lobbying experience, Jones advises clients on policy, process, and politics in Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia. His clients cut across multiple issue areas including tax, insurance, financial services, transportation, technology, health care, real estate and procurement. Jones has developed effective strategies for trade associations, Fortune 500 corporations, non-profit associations, and small companies. Capitol Counsel is consistently rated one of the top bipartisan lobbying firms in Washington. Jones has also served in leadership roles on multiple presidential, gubernatorial, Senate and House campaigns.