Garry Ridge (16)

The WD-40 Company

Garry O. Ridge is CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of WD-40 Company. He joined WD-40 Company in 1987, and held various leadership positions in the company before being appointed to CEO in 1997. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches leadership development, talent management, and succession planning in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program.   Mr. Ridge is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.”   A native of Australia, Mr. Ridge holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and wholesale distribution and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. He is a past LEAD San Diego Board member and a 2016 graduate of the INFLUENCE San Diego program.