Thomas Riley was sworn in on December 21, 2003 as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco, culminating almost three decades of work in international business, technology, and energy management.
Mr. Riley earned his Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Stanford University in 1972. He began his professional life as an Associate Engineer for the Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington. After a year of service with Boeing, Mr. Riley attended Harvard Business School, where he was awarded an MBA in 1975.
Following graduation from Harvard, Mr. Riley spent four years overseas with TRW, based in Northern Ireland, England and France, rising rapidly to the position of Manager of European Operations. He then returned to California and co-founded General Resources Corporation, an equipment distribution company, establishing partnerships with local service companies in Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia and Sudan. Mr. Riley speaks French fluently.
Mr. Riley also has a strong foundation in technology, having worked in the Silicon Valley in California for the past 20 years. He has served as the President and CEO of Unity Systems (automated building controls), Web State (online training) and most recently ActivePhoto (online digital photo services). Mr. Riley is often invited to speak at industry conferences in the U.S. and Europe, and was awarded a U.S. patent for an innovative energy management system.
Mr. Riley has actively donated his professional expertise through volunteering at organizations such as Bizworld, a program that teaches business principles to elementary schools, and Hope Rehabilitation Services, a charity serving those with mental disabilities.
