At the ripe old age of 19, Mike Ritz helped his father close deals with presidents of international companies along the lines of CitiBank and Proctor & Gamble. The experience primed him to lead a Rhode Island organization focused on grooming the state’s leaders to tackle Rhode Island’s meatiest issues.
As executive director of Leadership Rhode Island, Ritz, now 37, oversees an organization that annually sends a group of business and community leaders for an off-the-record, behind-the-scenes view of Rhode Island. The organization hopes they leave better able to contribute solutions to the state’s pressing needs.
For Ritz, the job forms a perfect fit after years of learning the art of persuasion and relationship building. At 22 he became an interrogator for the U.S. Army. By age 24, he had left the Army and, along with a business partner, formed Team Delta, a consulting group providing military-simulated training experiences to the private sector. He remains the Philadelphia-based company’s CEO.
Ritz built the New England office for Atlantis Preferred Healthcare, an international company based in the United Arab Emirates. The office closed after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
Ritz also has made a mark on organizations closely connected to the community. He served as development director for The Genesis Center, an adult education and work force training center in Providence. While there he applied for the Leadership Rhode Island program. In 2009 he became the organization’s top employee.
“I am excited to bring my diverse perspective and ability to work with others … to our 1,600 alumni at a time when community interconnectedness in Rhode Island is needed most,” Ritz said.
If that weren’t enough, on the side Ritz organizes Connect Providence, a group focused on networking that intentionally meets in restaurants often ignored by many people. •
