Juan Cruz is a Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and serves as the Senior Director of their US-Argentine Strategic Forum. In addition, he advises Multilaterals, the private sector, and international entities and provides national security as well as public security guidance to a myriad of concerns. He served in the White House as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs in the National Security Council and retired from the U.S. government in 2019 after serving for more than 30 years. Most of that time was spent in overseas assignments in various capacities, including high-level leadership positions within the Western Hemisphere. Foreign postings include Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. He had an active role in combating illegally armed groups in Colombia and gained recognized expertise in strategic planning and execution against the toughest security challenges in the region. Mr. Cruz speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese. He holds a BSFS from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, an MIPP from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and studied at the Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.