Our Leadership Team
Industry Positions
- Canadian Risk Manager and Risk Consultant
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Brock University
- Standards and Policy Writer and Auditor
- International Trip Chaperone Workshop Trainer
Areas of Expertise
- Enterprise Risk Management Consulting
- Trip Leader Risk Management Training
- Risk Management Audits and Reviews
- Mixed Methods Research and Program Review
- Expert Witness for tourism, recreation, and school based travel and student experiences
Dr. Ryan Howard
Director of Operations & Risk Management
Throughout his career, Ryan has shown dedication to advancing the practices of outdoor education through both his field-based practices and his time conducting and disseminating research in experiential education. Ryan holds Bachelor Degrees in Outdoor Recreation and Geography from Lakehead University and a Master’s degree from Brock University which focused on commercial risk management and government regulations within the outdoor industry. He completed a Ph.D. in Applied Health Science, also from Brock University, and has complete the requirements for the Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation through the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and the Global Risk Management Institute (GRMI) through the University of Toronto.
Ryan came to ALIVE Outdoors after working in higher education for eight years. He has lectured at Brock University, was a faculty member at the University of Northern British Columbia, and finished his time in academic as a tenure track professor in the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University. Ryan started in outdoor education as a canoe tripper, white water canoe, kayak, and raft guide, a swift water rescue instructor, and operations director with various companies in Ontario and Quebec.
Highlights from Ryan’s professional background in the fields of outdoor and experiential education includes: publishing research in numerous national and internationally recognized journals, and books; sharing research and workshops on risk management and experiential education at over 50 scholarly conferences and symposia; conducting government sponsored research with school boards; and consulting for Environment Canada on developing their risk management practices. He actively contributes to a number of outdoor and experiential education associations and continues to be a reviewer for numerous education and outdoor recreation journals. Ryan actively engages in legal proceedings as an expert witness for the outdoor recreation, travel, and school-based incidents.
Industry Positions
- Canadian Risk Manager and Risk Consultant
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Brock University
- Standards and Policy Writer and Auditor
- International Trip Chaperone Workshop Trainer
Areas of Expertise
- Enterprise Risk Management Consulting
- Trip Leader Risk Management Training
- Risk Management Audits and Reviews
- Mixed Methods Research and Program Review
- Expert Witness for tourism, recreation, and school based travel and student experiences
Dr. Ryan Howard
Director of Operations & Risk Management
Throughout his career, Ryan has shown dedication to advancing the practices of outdoor education through both his field-based practices and his time conducting and disseminating research in experiential education. Ryan holds Bachelor Degrees in Outdoor Recreation and Geography from Lakehead University and a Master’s degree from Brock University which focused on commercial risk management and government regulations within the outdoor industry. He completed a Ph.D. in Applied Health Science, also from Brock University, and has complete the requirements for the Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation through the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and the Global Risk Management Institute (GRMI) through the University of Toronto.
Ryan came to ALIVE Outdoors after working in higher education for eight years. He has lectured at Brock University, was a faculty member at the University of Northern British Columbia, and finished his time in academic as a tenure track professor in the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University. Ryan started in outdoor education as a canoe tripper, white water canoe, kayak, and raft guide, a swift water rescue instructor, and operations director with various companies in Ontario and Quebec.
Highlights from Ryan’s professional background in the fields of outdoor and experiential education includes: publishing research in numerous national and internationally recognized journals, and books; sharing research and workshops on risk management and experiential education at over 50 scholarly conferences and symposia; conducting government sponsored research with school boards; and consulting for Environment Canada on developing their risk management practices. He actively contributes to a number of outdoor and experiential education associations and continues to be a reviewer for numerous education and outdoor recreation journals. Ryan actively engages in legal proceedings as an expert witness for the outdoor recreation, travel, and school-based incidents.
Dr. Ryan Howard
Director of Operations & Risk Management
Industry Positions
- Canadian Risk Manager and Risk Consultant
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Brock University
- Standards and Policy Writer and Auditor
- International Trip Chaperone Workshop Trainer
Areas of Expertise
- Enterprise Risk Management Consulting
- Trip Leader Risk Management Training
- Risk Management Audits and Reviews
- Mixed Methods Research and Program Review
- Expert Witness for tourism, recreation, and school based travel and student experiences
Throughout his career, Ryan has shown dedication to advancing the practices of outdoor education through both his field-based practices and his time conducting and disseminating research in experiential education. Ryan holds Bachelor Degrees in Outdoor Recreation and Geography from Lakehead University and a Master’s degree from Brock University which focused on commercial risk management and government regulations within the outdoor industry. He completed a Ph.D. in Applied Health Science, also from Brock University, and has complete the requirements for the Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation through the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and the Global Risk Management Institute (GRMI) through the University of Toronto.
Ryan came to ALIVE Outdoors after working in higher education for eight years. He has lectured at Brock University, was a faculty member at the University of Northern British Columbia, and finished his time in academic as a tenure track professor in the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University. Ryan started in outdoor education as a canoe tripper, white water canoe, kayak, and raft guide, a swift water rescue instructor, and operations director with various companies in Ontario and Quebec.
Highlights from Ryan’s professional background in the fields of outdoor and experiential education includes: publishing research in numerous national and internationally recognized journals, and books; sharing research and workshops on risk management and experiential education at over 50 scholarly conferences and symposia; conducting government sponsored research with school boards; and consulting for Environment Canada on developing their risk management practices. He actively contributes to a number of outdoor and experiential education associations and continues to be a reviewer for numerous education and outdoor recreation journals. Ryan actively engages in legal proceedings as an expert witness for the outdoor recreation, travel, and school-based incidents.
