Ryan Stokes AO is the son of Kerry Stokes and holds senior board and executive roles in his father’s business empire including as chief executive of the family’s private investment company, Australian Capital Equity, being appointed an executive director in 2001 and chief executive in April 2010.
He was appointed managing director of Seven Group Holdings from July 2015, was chief operating officer from August 2012 and executive director since 2010. Mr Stokes is also a director of Seven West Media, which owns the Seven Network and The West Australian. As a director of WesTrac, Mr Stokes has extensive experience in China, having developed relationships with various mining and media companies for over 15 years.
Mr Stokes has been chair of the National Library of Australia, member of the Prime Ministerial Advisory Council on Veterans Mental Health, committee member of innovationXchange (within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) which provides strategic guidance on innovation in aid programs, member of the IOC Olympic Education Commission, and chair of Australia’s National Youth Mental Health Foundation (Headspace).
Mr Stokes holds a Bachelor of Communications from Curtin University and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management.
In 2020, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to the people and parliament of Australia, to the media as a political commentator, and through philanthropic support for a range of community organisations.
