The Global Foundation mourns the passing of Fergus D. Ryan AO, after a long illness, in Melbourne on 7 April 2026.
Fergus Ryan was a giant of Australian corporate life over many years and, equally, he made significant contributions to the community and also advised government at the highest levels. His was an exceptional contribution to the benefit of Australia and also to the global common good.
Having previously chaired the civic organisation, the Committee for Melbourne, Fergus played a pivotal role in the formation of the Global Foundation when it was launched in Melbourne in May 1998 and he became its founding Chairman of the Board. He subsequently served as Chairman of the Foundation’s Advisory Council until his appointment as a Patron of the Foundation in 2014.
A YouTube video recording of a tribute to Fergus Ryan, entitled ‘An Outsider Enters the Pantheon’, at a Global Foundation dinner held in his honour in January 2014, is available here (the tribute begins at the 4 minute mark of the video).
Vale, Fergus Ryan.
Steve Howard
Secretary General of the Global Foundation