Victor A. Ruiz is a distinguished leader with over twenty years of experience in community and non-profit sectors, excelling as an executive, consultant, and coach. A bilingual professional fluent in both English and Spanish, Victor is an ICF Certified Coach and a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). His expertise spans organizational management, strategy development, governance, fundraising, community outreach, and diversity and inclusion.
As President & CEO of Victor A. Ruiz & Associates, Victor leads a coaching and consulting firm dedicated to transforming leaders and their organizations. His clients range from Fortune 50 corporations to small businesses and emerging leaders.
Victor is also a Partner & Co-Founder at Gradient, a Human Equity Think Tank based in Cleveland, where he and his team focus on integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into strategic planning and execution for visionary leaders.
Since 2010, Victor has served as President & CEO of Esperanza, Inc., a Cleveland-based organization where his leadership has driven a remarkable 300% increase in revenue, client base, and staff. Esperanza is renowned for its significant impact on increasing Hispanic graduation rates and has earned multiple accolades, including recognition by the White House Initiative and Excelencia in Education.
Victor holds a Master of Education in School Guidance Counseling from Cleveland State University, a Bachelor of Arts in English from Baldwin-Wallace College, and has completed Harvard Business School’s Executive Education in Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. He is also a Certified Professional Diversity Coach from the Coach Diversity Institute.
His board affiliations include roles with the Fund for Our Economic Future, the Plain Dealer/Cleveland.com Editorial Board, Say Yes to Education Scholarship Board, and Cuyahoga Community College. Victor is a National Institute of Latino School Leaders Fellow and a W.K. Kellogg Racial Equity and Healing Fellow, among other notable positions.
Victor’s contributions have been widely recognized with awards such as The Cleveland Foundation’s Homer C. Wadsworth Award, multiple listings in Crain’s Cleveland Business Power 150, and an honorary doctorate from Baldwin Wallace University. His honors also include the Cleveland Indians Roberto Clemente Award and the NFL/Cleveland Browns Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.
Victor’s extensive experience, coupled with his deep commitment to community and leadership, underscores his impactful role in fostering growth and inclusivity across various sectors.
Services
- Executive & Diversity Coaching
- Interim CEO & Executive Director
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Program Development
- Board Recruitment & Development
- Fractional C-Suite (CEO, COO, CSO)
- Community Outreach & Engagement
- Fundraising
Sectors
- Education (including K-PS, College Access, Adult Education)
- Non-Profit
- Workforce & Economic Development
- Policy & Government
- Corporate
- Community