A.B. Cruz III is a Strategic Advisor and Coach at BarkerGilmore who has distinguished himself across multiple industries, having served as Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, Chief Risk Officer, and Corporate Secretary in biotech pharma, telecommunications, media/entertainment, financial services, oil & gas, education, and the military. A.B. has helped lead four public (NASDAQ: VIA & SSP | NYSE: SNI & EBS) and three private companies (USAA, BET, ARINC) – spanning several very different highly regulated industries and representing over $60B in total annual revenue – through challenge, crisis, and change. He is also a former Navy Admiral who, during his 33+ year military career, shaped and led numerous high-performing operational teams in demanding, high-stress, and ambiguous environments and represented the United States internationally in multiple high-level engagements with foreign militaries. A.B. is a visionary leader of the highest character who has developed and implemented many value- and brand-building initiatives and is a well-respected and credible thought leader.

A.B. serves on the boards of two start-up companies, PharmaKinex.AI and Great Midwest Healthcare. He is the vice chair and finance committee chair at the Naval War College Foundation and an advisory board member at Academy Securities and Ascentium. He is also the vice chair and audit & governance committee chair at the Yellow Ribbon Fund, vice chair, and development committee chair at the Down Syndrome Association of South Texas, audit committee chair at Saint Mary’s Hall, and governance committee chair at the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. Additionally, he is a board trustee, governance committee member, and part of the distinguished graduate award selection committee for the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation.

Previously, A.B. served on the board of Graf Acquisition Corp. IV and was the president of the Board of Governors for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. He also chaired the board for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and was an advisory board member for Bellatorum Resources and VetStoreUSA.

A.B. holds a J.D. from The Catholic University of America, an M.A. in Marketing from The University of Maryland, and a B.S. in General Engineering & Physical Sciences from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Executive Search, Leadership Development, Organizational Strategy, Succession Management

Most recently, A.B. served as Senior Vice President and Divisional General Counsel at USAA, a Fortune 100 financial services company, where he led the legal teams that supported the company’s C-suite members and their organizations. He spearheaded the optimization of the chief legal office’s operating and interaction models and reviewed and approved new products and services to foster USAA’s future growth, competitiveness, and technology transformation. Prior to USAA, A.B. was Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer, and PAC chairman for Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. Before Emergent, A.B. concurrently served as the Deputy Director of Maritime Operations for U.S. Fleet Forces Command and as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary for Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. Prior to that, A.B. was the Deputy Commander for both U.S. 4^th Fleet and Naval Forces Southern Command and served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for The E.W. Scripps Company.

Energy, Financial, Non-Profit, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Consumer