LUNCHEON KEYNOTE
Paul Ryan
Former Speaker of the House
Paul Ryan was the 54th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. In office from October 2015 to
January 2019, he was the youngest speaker in nearly 150 years.
During his tenure as Speaker, Ryan spearheaded efforts to reform our nation’s tax code, rebuild our
national defense, expand domestic energy production, combat the opioid epidemic, reform our criminal
justice system, and promote economic opportunity.
As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee he worked to protect health care choices,
advance free trade, and strengthen the economy. Before that, Ryan served as chairman of the House
Budget Committee where he outlined revolutionary blueprints to balance the federal budget and pay off
the national debt.
In 2012, he was selected to serve as Governor Mitt Romney’s Vice-Presidential nominee. Ryan was first
elected to Congress at age 28 and represented Wisconsin’s First District for two decades.
In 2020, Ryan was named as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Executive Network Partnering
Corporation and in 2021, he was named as a Partner at Solamere Capital. He is also a member of the
Board of Directors of the Fox Corporation, of SHINE Medical Technologies LLC, and of UniversalCIS.
Ryan is a Professor of the Practice at the University of Notre Dame and a visiting fellow in the practice of
public policy at the American Enterprise Institute.
Paul and his wife Janna have three children: Liza, Charlie, and Sam. He holds a degree in economics and
political science from Miami University in Ohio and was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the
University.