Alfred Paul Ries, better known as Al Ries, was a distinguished American marketing professional and author. His significant contributions to the field of marketing included the resurrection of the concept of "positioning." Ries co-founded and served as the chairman of Ries & Ries, an Atlanta-based consulting firm, alongside his partner and daughter, Laura Ries.

Ries' collaboration with Jack Trout led to the coining of the term "positioning" in marketing, and together, they authored Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind, which has become a standard reference in the industry. His educational journey saw him graduating from DePauw University in 1950 with a liberal arts degree. Ries embarked on his professional career in the advertising department of General Electric, and subsequently, he founded his own advertising agency in New York City, Ries Cappiello Colwell, in 1963. The agency later evolved into a marketing strategy firm known as Trout & Ries.

In 1972, Ries continued his prolific partnership with Trout, co-authoring a series of groundbreaking articles on marketing that further cemented their status as thought leaders in the field.