Richard Ryan

Richard Ryan is the former President and Chief Operating Officer of DEKALB Genetics and the founding donor of the Becker Center on Chicago Price Theory.  He earned his bachelor’s degree from Quincy College in 1964 and his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1966.  After graduation, he became an officer in the US army and served in Vietnam.  Following initial employment with Armour & Co. and the Chicago Board of Trade, in 1979 he joined DEKALB Genetics as an M&A Manager.  In 1990, he became President and Chief Operating Officer of DEKALB, and after its acquisition by Monsanto in 1998, Ryan served as Vice President in Global Product Management, overseeing worldwide seed operations.  Since retirement in 2002, Ryan has served as a consultant and is involved with numerous philanthropic activities.