How a University Counselor Landed in Hershey's C-Sweet

Whether it's ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs or iPhone emojis, stained-glass windows in a medieval cathedral or ads in a glossy magazine, humans have a long history of producing artifacts designed to communicate. As an art history major, school counselor and now marketer at a Fortune 500 company, Ryan Riess’ diverse experiences have taught him that the best approach to getting a point across is often the least complicated one. “A simple message is usually the most powerful message,” said Riess, who ended 2021 with a promotion to vp of brand strategy and creative development after helping develop and lead The Hershey Company’s internal creative agency, C-Sweet Studio, since 2018. Growing up in Florida, Riess dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player. But after breaking his right leg three times in high school during his sophomore, junior and senior years, he was forced to make other plans. As an undergrad at Harvard, Riess had a general notion that, just like his father, he’d eventually earn an MBA and go into business. For the time being, though, he’d study what fascinated him most: works of art and architecture that, for one reason or another, people had decided to preserve for hundreds of years. “I knew I wasn't going to be majoring in anything that was immediately practical,” he said. Riess' interest in human motivation and psychology, coupled with a desire to do something fulfilling that helped others, led him to earn a master's degree in counseling. The education and experience working as a resident hall director at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, showed him that getting to the bottom of what people think and feel isn’t always a straight line. Sometimes it’s a circuitous path that requires time and careful attention. “You realize when you're counseling and spending time with people that you don't just ask,” he said. “You figure it out through dialogue and communication and reading between the lines.” After becoming assistant dean of students, Riess began running orientation, which involved promoting the university to parents and students through images and storytelling—marketing, essentially. It dawned on him then that he should enter the field of brand management. Riess got that MBA and joined The Hershey Company, where he's worked with multiple brands producing content for everything from television to social media. No matter the medium, Riess' background in both art history and counseling has left him feeling confident he can get the right message across. Big mistake Ignoring problems and brushing aside doubts in the naïve hope the issue will resolve itself. “If you're at an ad shoot and you feel like it's too dark, you're not going to think it's not too dark later,” Riess said. “Nothing magical happens in post [production] or when you fly back to Hershey's.” Lesson learned Trust your initial judgment and act on your instincts. “If you don't like it, you're never going to like it,” he said. “If your shoes aren't comfortable in the shoe store, they're probably going to remain uncomfortable.” How he got the gig Hershey recruited Riess from the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School, where he earned an MBA with a concentration in marketing. Pro tip "Pursue what you do well," he said, "and steer clear of what you don't."

Leadership & Talent

How a University Counselor Landed at The Hershey Company

Ryan Riess went from art history to counseling to the candy giant

Paul Hiebert

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Paul Hiebert