Ruan was born in
Wuhan. He began working in 1979 as a textiles worker in a local clothing factory. He joined the Communist Party in 1982. He studied international communism at the
Central China Normal University and also has a doctorate in law. In 1994, he took charge of the Wuhan securities commission. In September 1995, he became party chief of
Wuchang District. In December 1997, he was named secretary-general of the Wuhan party committee. In March 1998, the mayor of
Huangshi; in November 2011, the secretary-general of the Hubei provincial government; in December 2002, the party chief of
Xiangfan; in September 2004, the Vice-Governor of Hubei. He was named mayor of Wuhan in January 2008. In January 2011, he was promoted to party chief of Wuhan; as party boss of the provincial capital, he also sat on the Hubei
provincial Party Standing Committee. ==Career in Wuhan==