Ryan McGeown-Conron Joins Benchmark Strategies as Senior Director of Public Affairs

Benchmark Strategies, Boston's leading public affairs and strategic communications firm, has announced the appointment of Ryan McGeown-Conron as Senior Director of Public Affairs. McGeown-Conron brings nearly a decade of public policy experience to the firm, with extensive background in public health and healthcare policy from his work with both the Baker and Healey Administrations.

In his new role, McGeown-Conron will lead public sector consulting engagements focused on helping clients drive new revenue and implement impactful government affairs strategies. His responsibilities will span multiple high-growth industries including Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, MedTech, Life Sciences, and Law Enforcement Technology. This appointment comes at a time when these sectors face increasingly complex regulatory landscapes and policy challenges that require sophisticated government relations expertise.

McGeown-Conron joins Benchmark Strategies from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, where he served as Director of Legislative Affairs. During his tenure at DPH, he led legislative outreach for the Steward Healthcare Incident Command and previously spearheaded legislative and government affairs efforts for the department's COVID-19 pandemic response, vaccine rollout, and vaccine equity initiative. His experience managing critical public health crises provides him with unique insights into emergency response coordination and public health policy implementation.

Earlier in his career, McGeown-Conron served as Legislative Aide to House Judiciary Chair Michael S. Day, giving him valuable experience in the legislative process and policy development. His educational background includes a Master of Public Administration from UMass Boston and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics with minors in Political Science and History from Union College.

The addition of McGeown-Conron significantly enhances Benchmark Strategies' ability to serve clients operating in highly regulated industries. His expertise in legislative and regulatory strategy, coalition building, and stakeholder engagement will be particularly valuable for technology companies navigating emerging policy frameworks around artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. For healthcare and life sciences clients, his deep understanding of public health policy and regulatory processes will provide strategic advantages in product development and market access.

McGeown-Conron expressed enthusiasm about joining Benchmark Strategies' fast-growing public affairs practice, noting his eagerness to help clients navigate complex policy environments and deliver measurable impact toward their goals. Patrick Bench, President of Benchmark Strategies, emphasized that McGeown-Conron's practical and tactical insight will benefit every client the firm serves by building strategies that work effectively in real-world policy settings.

Benchmark Strategies has established itself as a prominent consulting firm since its founding in 2014, partnering with clients across multiple sectors including Fortune 500 companies, technology innovators, nonprofits, trade associations, and real estate developers. The firm's expanded capabilities through this appointment position it to better serve clients facing evolving regulatory challenges in technology and healthcare sectors. More information about the firm's services can be found at https://www.benchmark-strategies.com.