Robert Ries Email & Phone Number

Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Researches and defines product/market strategies to gain competitive advantage and grow businesses profitably. Focus is on innovative in-line and off-line technologies for inspection and quality control in the food, pharma and consumer goods spaces. Key technical/application knowledge in software, vision, x-ray, electromagnetic fields, lasers/optics, material handling in a vast array of manufacturing processes. Implements voice of the customer research, analyzes competition/technology, recommends strategy and leads/participates in implementation as needed. Global view via direct experience in 35+ countries with suppliers, customers, partners, industry associations and corporate management.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Responsible for the worldwide revenue and margin objectives of a $18M line of contamination detection systems used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Reinvigorated the business via new product plans and launches followed by proactive sales training/support and promotional programs. Major contributor to e-marketing communication programs.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Responsible for defining, positioning and promoting the company’s high performance storage systems in broadcast, military and medical markets. Managed new product research, marketing communications and partnership initiatives. Championed the company’s unique rugged, removable disk pack system targeted at digital tape recording replacement.

Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul Area

Managed a marketing group responsible for an electronics inspection systems business growing at +20%/year. Included a product line with the #1 market share position. Areas of responsibility included product management, marketing communications and technical publications.

Greater Boston Area

As Program Manager: Managed a cross-functional team in the world’s leading image processing/analysis company to develop a major new software product designed to expand the company’s end-user market share. Had direct management responsibility for research, specification, testing and rollout of an innovative visual programming system. Led customer software applications development for several key accounts. As Business Development Manager: Responsible for identification and development of new markets and software/hardware products. Focused on the electronics, semiconductor, automotive, pharmaceutical, biomedical and consumer goods industries. Worked with sales to grow revenue from $10M to $31M, generating over 20% after tax profit.

Mba, Marketing And Strategy

Received full tuition academic

Bsee, Electrical And Computer Engineering

Activities and Societies: Dean’s Honor list for four years, member of the honorary engineering society Tau Beta Pi.