Gilberto Perez

Gilberto “Coach” Perez is a recently retired U.S. Air Force officer and Partner at Elara Nova, bringing more than 20 years of leadership in cyberspace operations, enterprise IT, and global communications.

Throughout his distinguished career, Gilberto earned a reputation for being a “high-connector” of ideas, people, processes, and technologies. He builds high-performance team culture where clients can clearly navigate organizational change, unlock strategic advantages, and deliver meaningful mission impact. As a thoughtful leader, he published 20+ articles to articulate lessons and concepts that translate complex ideas into clear, actionable guidance for leaders and organizations.

Gilberto has a proven track record of leading multimillion-dollar IT projects in mission-critical environments, from the White House under two Administrations, the Pentagon, and as a three-time commander. He designs tailored strategies by deconstructing challenging problems, identifying opportunities, and providing trusted guidance to actualize executives’ business goals.

Gilberto earned his B.S. in Management as a Distinguished Graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy, holds three master’s degrees including an MBA from the University of Tampa, and is completing his Ed.D in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California in 2026. He also holds certifications in Project Management (Northwestern University), Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (Dartmouth), and is currently pursuing Leadership Performance Coaching (Brown University).

His contributions to national security and to the stewardship of the cyber and IT profession have been recognized with the U.S. Presidential Lifetime Service Award, AFCEA Saint Isidore Cyber Award, MCPA Order of Thor, SCRA Bronze Order of Mercury, and DISA Mentor of the Year.

In 2006, Gilberto became the Co-Founder of the Perez Brothers Scholarship to expand educational opportunities for the next generation of leaders. He also serves on the AFCEA International Cyber Committee, AFA Aerospace Education Council, Air Force Cyberspace and Air Traffic Control Association Board, U.S. Air Force Academy Admissions Team, and All Sports Community Service Advisor.

He and his wife of 19 years, Angeline, have been together since middle school, are the proud parents of four children, and currently live in Tampa, FL.