Coleman Ruiz

SPECIAL OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES FOR BUSINESS

Former U.S. Navy SEAL, TED Talks Invited Presenter (Spring 2018), Managing Member at Anchor Management, LLC


As a trainer, educator, advisor, and speaker, Coleman works with teams and leaders at the tactical, execution-level of their organizations. Strategy is important but it’s the everyday dirty-work of planning and running operations where teaming and leadership really happen. And teaming always comes before leading!

Coleman also serves as a Partner at Anchor Capital Holdings, LLC a special asset investment group in Annapolis, MD. Over the last four years, through Anchor Capital Holdings, Coleman has served twice as the President of two different portfolio companies guiding the transaction, turn-around, and stabilization of both businesses.

Coleman is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and former officer in the Naval Special Warfare community (U.S. Navy SEALs). He spent 13 years on active duty in the U.S. Navy ultimately serving overseas during six operational combat deployments in both the Afghanistan and Iraq theaters of war. He’s served as troop commander, joint task force commander, and executive officer. While serving in Navy’s special mission unit, Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG) in Virginia Beach, he led hundreds of operations and sensitive military programs. Coleman also served in U.S. Embassies in both Yemen and Kenya working directly with the Ambassador’s country team and the host nation.

While in special operations, Coleman also served as a Training Officer at both the basic and advanced Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) training schools. He led the training and development of approximately 800 basic and advanced special operations students through the military’s most high-risk training programs, including the infamous Hell Week in BUD/S training.

It’s Coleman’s belief that we promote exceptional performance through Service, Education, and Inspiration. There is one all-purpose idea behind service and it’s that you are your brother’s keeper. Only by taking responsibility as stewards do we truly give, and thus serve. To truly be of service we must give time, attention, energy, effort, and guidance. Every great teammate and leader is also a teacher and educator. To educate we must be a consummate student and expert learner ourselves. And to inspire – to “breathe life into” – we must do something! It’s action, experimentation, and going first that inspires people towards exceptional performance.

Coleman has served as a trainer, educator, and advisor for over a dozen collegiate teams, and professional athletic organizations. He’s a researcher and contributor to the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Mission Critical Teams Initiative. He’s also presented on teams and leadership stimulation at the Wharton School People Analytics Conference. He serves as a US Naval Academy Trustee for Athletic and Scholarship Programs, and serves as a board member at ISM Connect, a digital solution aggregator for brands, fans, and venues. Since completing active duty service in 2011, Coleman has also served as the Executive Director of Carry the Load in Dallas, TX, a 501(c)3, as a board member at Tip of the Spear, a veteran-focused non-profit, and member of the Station Foundation’s veteran transition programs.

Coleman graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in Mathematics and earned an MBA in Finance at the Government School of Business & Public Policy from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.

He lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife Bridget Ruiz and their three children, Coleman (age 15), Ben (age 12), and Oliver (age 8).

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