About Kelly
Kelly Ryan was raised in Māngere, South Auckland, as the eldest of three children. She always wanted to be a police officer and in 1999 began her career with police, serving across five policing districts in a range of operational, training, and strategic roles. Prior to policing, Kelly worked with the Royal New Zealand Navy and later the New Zealand Army (Territorial Force).
Kelly has held the rank of Superintendent for the past five and a half years, during which she has served as Director of Emergency Communications and Dispatch, Director of Major Operations, and Director of the Frontline Safety and Tactical Response Programme. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Security (Intelligence), with a focus on the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
With 27 years of policing experience and 11 years as a senior leader, Kelly has led large and diverse teams, including her current substantive team of 600 staff in Emergency Communications. Her leadership experience spans Road Policing, Major Operations, Prevention (Family Harm, Victims, and Community), and national deployment programmes such as the Frontline Safety and Tactical Response Model. Across these roles, she has strengthened operational capability, led significant planning and command functions, and managed both strategic and operational risk, while emphasising inclusive, high‑trust partnerships.
Kelly has contributed to internal executive governance within NZ Police and represented the organisation in external inter‑governmental governance groups during her time in Prevention and Major Operations. She is deeply committed to people, partnerships, and advancing policing outcomes across the full spectrum of service.
Outside of work, Kelly is a proud mum to three children: Grace (19), currently undertaking officer training in the Royal New Zealand Navy; Hadley (17); and Hunter (15), both in high school in Porirua where she lives with her husband of 20 years, Wade - who also has nearly 30 years of policing experience - is the Tactical Operations Coordinator for Wellington District, supporting tactically qualified staff working alongside frontline police.
Kelly is enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity to step into the ED, PICP Secretariat role and is committed to working alongside the secretariat team, to support the 22 Chiefs of Police across the Pacific.