Ambassador Charles Ries is Vice President, International at the RAND Corporation. He oversees RAND’s international offices and international research client relationships. He joined RAND in 2009 as a Senior Fellow. Ambassador Ries’ research at RAND has focused on the economics of development, the Middle East, and Europe. He is co-author of RAND studies on the Costs of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Improving National Security Decision- Making, Building a More Resilient Haitian State, the U.S. in Iraq, and energy efficiency in buildings.

At the State Department, his last assignment was as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Coordinator for Economic Transition in Iraq at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, where he was responsible for oversight and coordination of assistance and economic policy initiatives. Between December 2004 and June 2007, Ries served as U.S. Ambassador to Greece. Ries was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs between April 2000 and June 2004.

In earlier assignments, Ries was the Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in London (1996-2000) and Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Mission to the European Union (1992-1996). He served as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for North American Affairs (1990-1992) and as a member of the NAFTA negotiating team. Since joining the Foreign Service in 1977, he also served as a special assistant and executive assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, in the Energy Policy Office, in the Office of the Counselor of the Department, and at U.S. embassies in Ankara and Santo Domingo.

Ries is the recipient of the State Department’s Cordell Hull Award for Senior Economic Officers, the Distinguished Honor Award, Presidential Meritorious Service Award, and several Superior Honor Awards. For his service in Iraq, he was also awarded the Department of Army’s Outstanding Civil Service Medal. Ries earned his M.A. and B.A. in international affairs from Johns Hopkins University.