Leo Cruz

Leo Cruz is a Senior Advisor with The Roosevelt Group, advising defense contractors, maritime industrial base initiatives, and technology integrators on federal acquisition strategy, programmatic alignment, and inter-agency governance. He specializes in translating complex Department of Defense acquisition requirements into actionable business development roadmaps, with an emphasis on maritime capability scaling, trilateral partnership frameworks (AUKUS), and enterprise risk mitigation across all components of the Department of Defense.

Prior to joining The Roosevelt Group, Mr. Cruz served as a Strategy Advisor within the U.S. Navy AUKUS Integration and Acquisition program, orchestrating cross-functional program activities across international policy, strategic communications, and corporate operations. He previously served as Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition [OASD(A)], offering strategic guidance on DoD acquisition enterprise policy, capability program management, and workforce development initiatives. Mr. Cruz also served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Deputy White House Liaison, managing executive talent acquisition and appointee placement across the military departments, and held senior advisory roles within the Office of the Secretary of the Navy overseeing strategic alignment for a $50 billion naval acquisition portfolio.

Mr. Cruz began his national security career as a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy, managing guided-missile destroyer operations and weapons readiness. He earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Norwich University, the Military College of Vermont.