ryandup1

I'm Ryan from Cape Town, South Africa. I am a driven and seasoned project manager with over 7 years experience leading teams in the successful delivery of multiple operational and financial projects. Known for a strategic and switched on mindset. Family, the planet and health are the key pillars within my Ikigai. Understanding that people are your most valuable assets has been the underlying success factor within my career.

I moved to The Netherlands 6 years ago to pursue a career that resonated with my values and ambitions, and to gain working experience on an international scale. After having achieved this, my family and I relocated back home at the end of 2024, with the intention of using these harnessed skills and experience, to build a better future for ourselves and our family in our home country.

My career journey reflects a passion for driving positive change through strategic project management. At The Ocean Cleanup, I lead the delivery of multiple waste intercepting river projects, witnessing firsthand the power of positive sustainable change on it's surrounding environment.
Leading the implementation of a co-creation working strategy within a project consortium, stands out as one of my greatest achievements. I believe that projects which are most successful are those which do not prescribe solutions but rather collaborate with empathy and empowerment. I took the initiative of prioritizing the collaboration between The Ocean Cleanup, it's local partners and communities within the deployment and operations of these river projects. This co-creative working environment made implementation more effective as local individuals were taking charge of the projects we helped them to develop. Since this initiative that river operating model, has made significant strides as the project achieved an exponential 1 million kilogram year-on-year increase in waste interception.

With expertise in project management, financial management and planning, reporting and stakeholder engagement, I believe I have the skills to excel in the various roles across different sectors. I have a proven track record of developing and executing projects, within cross-functional and multi-national teams, while ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.

I look forward to connecting with those who believe I can provide a valuable contribution to their mission.

Cheers,
Ryan