Shane Ryan MBE

Shane Ryan is the Senior Advisor to the CEO at The National Lottery Community Fund. He was appointed for his extensive expertise in social justice, community engagement, and strategic philanthropy. Shane plays a pivotal role in driving the Fund’s mission to support and empower communities across the UK.

Before joining the Fund, Shane served as the Global Executive Director of The Avast Foundation. There, he successfully expanded its initiatives to 27 countries, focusing on digital inclusion and citizenship. At The National Lottery Community Fund, Shane’s leadership has been instrumental in creating our initial Youth Voice strategy, which ensures young leaders are integral to decision-making processes, and our Partnership strategy. He also initiated and developed the Phoenix Fund, an initiative dedicated to supporting black and minoritized communities, and more recently, The National Lottery Innovation Unit.

Shane’s career spans significant roles across the public, private, and charity sectors in both national and international contexts. This includes time at DCMS as a strategy advisor and significant time as a Chief Executive Officer in the charity sector. He has collaborated with global organizations and business from Sony Columbia and Unilever to UNESCO and ITU, leveraging his expertise to address critical social issues and promote sustainable development worldwide.

A dedicated community advocate, Shane is also a trustee for various organizations and remains active in his own community. His contributions to the charitable sector were recognized with an MBE in 2023 for services to charity and young people. Shane’s executive education at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, supports the organization’s current and future work around sustainability. His MBA studies focused on Leadership and Sustainability at the University of Cumbria, which supports his strategic approach to philanthropy and community development.