Bryan studied economics, law and international relations in the UK and USA in the 1980s before embarking on a career focused on mineral resource based development covering oil, gas and mining. Prior to joining the World Bank in 2007 Bryan worked at CRU International, Petroconsultants, the Government of Papua New Guinea and the technical cooperation division of the London-based Commonwealth Secretariat. At the World Bank he led project teams engaged in supporting some 20 different countries over four continents in developing policy and regulatory frameworks to encourage beneficial and responsible investment in resource extraction and processing. In 2021 he retired from his position as Lead Mining Specialist but after a short interval resumed his work as Senior Mining Policy Adviser in a consulting capacity.