Rich Cruz is a Principal Enterprise Wireless Consultant with a career defined by translating complex business and compliance requirements into secure, high-performance wired, wireless, and cloud architectures.

From serving aboard U.S. Navy ships to leading enterprise deployments with more than 50,000 endpoints, he has consistently delivered practical, scalable solutions that ensure operational excellence and business continuity for Fortune 1000 organizations. With more than a decade at CDW, Rich earned the trust of C-level leaders and technical stakeholders alike by architecting mission-critical multi-vendor environments, spearheading large-scale migrations, implementing advanced Network Access Control (NAC), and driving zero-trust strategies across highly regulated industries. A recognized mentor and thought leader, he actively shapes vendor roadmaps, empowers engineering teams, and represents the voice of the field at industry forums. His passion lies in simplifying complexity, reducing risk, and enabling secure, resilient networks that transform the way businesses operate.

Expertise:
Networking Access Control, Private 5G/LTE, HPE Aruba ClearPass, Cisco ISE, Security Service Edge (SSE), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), FortiNAC, Cisco (Catalyst / Meraki Cloud AI Driven), Extreme Cloud IQ, Extreme Fabric, Arista Networks, WLAN Security, Vendor ecosystem collaboration, C-level stakeholder engagement, Large-scale migrations, Team mentorship, Stadiums and Large Public Venues