Embracing Discomfort: Andrew Rietz’s Path to Growth
I wanted to feel that tension. Being uncomfortable is where growth starts.
Andrew Rietz, Managing Director of Financial Institutions at My Private Shares (MPS), may spend his days guiding community banks through complex capital and ownership conversations, but his foundation is anything but transactional. Raised in the quietly diverse setting of Elizabethtown, Pa.— a town nestled between Amish farmland and the chocolate factories of Hershey — Rietz grew up in a place where small-town values met surprising cultural breadth.
“My town had a little bit of everything,” he recalls. “Farmers, nurses, blue-collar tradesmen, white-collar professionals. It was a place where exposure to difference wasn’t an exception; it was part of daily life.”
In that spirit of creativity and community, Rietz spent his childhood outdoors, enjoying homespun games with other neighborhood kids: kick the can, flashlight tag, dunk ball.
“The minimal presence of video games and social media allowed us to create our own entertainment,” he explains. “And it forced me to be imaginative and work with the people around me.” That sense of togetherness, improvisation, and curiosity shaped not only his childhood but also the way he collaborates in boardrooms today.
His openness to diverse thinking only grew as he stepped outside of his hometown comfort zone. In setting out on his post-high-school academic path, he traded the bucolic setting of Elizabethtown for the gritty (but vivid) sidewalks of North Philadelphia and Temple University.
He pursued a finance degree after a brief flirtation with criminology. “Temple was a reality check in the best way,” he reflects. “I forced myself into an environment where I was a small fish in a big pond. I wanted to feel that tension. Being uncomfortable is where growth starts.”
That drive to step into discomfort—whether geographic, academic, or emotional — has become a recurring theme in Rietz’s personal and professional life.
A Mind for Numbers, a Heart for People
Before joining MPS, Rietz built a deep and practical skill set at The Kafafian Group (TKG), an Allentown, Pa., boutique consulting firm revered for its strategic advisory work with community banks. Over his 12-year tenure, he evolved from binder assembler to boardroom strategist, helping banks through mergers, growth planning, and de novo launches.
But Rietz wasn’t there just to move numbers. “The lesson I took away from TKG was the value of trust. In the community bank space, if you’re not a trusted advisor, you’re just another vendor. I didn’t want to be a vendor. I wanted to be a partner.”
That human-centric approach to business stems from a life that taught him to value empathy and resilience. Rietz is the youngest of three siblings. His mother, a nurse by background, anchored the household with a rare mix of emotional strength and practical compassion. “She’s incredible,” he says simply. “Just one of those people who gives without asking for anything in return.”
“I was fortunate to grow up in a supportive, tight-knit community that valued hard work, integrity, and helping others. My family and neighbors looked out for one another, and that sense of connection shaped who I am today.”
This footing is why Rietz feels so strongly now about working with community banks, institutions that truly understand the importance of local relationships and long-term trust. “That same foundation influences how I show up as a husband and father: present, dependable, and committed to building a strong future for my family and the people around me,” he characterizes.
The Right Partner in Uncertain Times
At MPS, Rietz has found a platform that aligns with his virtues: supporting privately held banks in solving shareholder liquidity challenges without forcing them into public markets.
“We’re not just a fintech solution,” he observes. “We’re creating real value through direct buyer-seller engagement, entirely controlled by the bank. That’s huge.”
He outlines five core value propositions he strives to bring to banks through his MPS work:
- Liquidity: “Shareholders are looking for greater optionality. We provide that.”
- Efficiency: “We help streamline a complicated piece of the puzzle.”
- Regulatory Mitigation: “We promote a compliant-driven approach.”
- Modernization: “Technology should serve the bank’s mission, not complicate it.”
- Engagement: “Most importantly, we empower banks to deepen relationships with their shareholders.”
Rietz also points to a hidden benefit: talent. “If a bank wants to attract fresh leadership and part of that offer includes equity, we make that equity more dynamic, more liquid, and more attractive. That’s a powerful recruiting tool.”
A Calm Voice in a High-Stakes Crisis
Those who work with Rietz describe him as a steadying force in moments of chaos.
I love a challenge,” he admits. “When problems hit, I get excited. It’s an opportunity to grow and to show what you’re made of.
He illustrates this point with an episode early in his career: A snowstorm grounded his manager en route to a high-stakes bank presentation in Georgia. Suddenly, Rietz was on his own — auditorium-style seating, 40-plus bank leaders, no backup. “You breathe, you trust your prep, and you deliver,” he says. “And you remember that leadership isn’t about being the smartest guy in the room. It’s about showing up when it matters.”
This self-discipline shows up in all aspects of his life. Whether it was exploring new areas of North Philly to build street smarts, applying to 150 jobs after college from a cramped attic room, or helping community banks weather industry headwinds, Rietz has never backed away from discomfort. “If you’re comfortable, you’re probably not growing,” he says.
“If I do my job right, a community bank stays independent for another generation”
For Rietz, the work at MPS is not just career progression; it’s a calling. “This isn’t about transaction volume. It’s about impact. If I do my job right, a community bank stays independent for another generation. It keeps funding Main Street. It keeps giving to local nonprofits. That ripple effect matters.”
Though he’s advised community banks of all sizes, Rietz never loses sight of the people behind the numbers. “Every shareholder has a story. Every bank has a reason for existing beyond the balance sheet. Our job is to preserve that.”
The Advocate You Want in the Room
When asked what class he’d teach if he ever left banking, Rietz doesn’t hesitate: “Golf etiquette.” Why? “Because golf teaches patience, humility, and respect, just like working with banks does.”
With Rietz, the comparison isn’t metaphorical. It’s philosophical. Whether in a boardroom or on the back nine, his approach is methodical, value-driven, and rooted in mutual respect.
For community bank leaders asking who they want beside them when the kitchen’s on fire — or better yet, how to avoid the fire altogether — Andrew Rietz is ready, steady, and already thinking two steps ahead.
