Richard "Rich" Geraffo Jr. ’85 leads the North Americas Sales team for Amazon Web Services, charged with helping companies that range from fast-growing startups to large enterprises grow their agility, lower their costs, and drive innovation with cloud-based technologies.

Rich is an accomplished business leader with deep technology experience in enterprise and software sales. He has led large-scale and highly complex sales organizations and is a recognized expert in cloud technology, market opportunities, and customer care strategies, with an unparalleled ability to lead and motivate teams.

Rich previously served as Executive Vice President of the North America Technology Division at Oracle Corporation. He joined Oracle in 2013 and was responsible for their multi-billion-dollar tech business. His tenure included managing teams in cloud, license, infrastructure, platforms, analytics, engineered systems, and more.

Rich has transformed global businesses for more than half of his career. His prior experience includes executive roles at Hewlett-Packard Company, VMware Inc., BEA Systems, and IBM.

As Senior Vice President and General Manager for HP Americas, he was responsible for leading all aspects of HP's Enterprise Sales across the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Prior to HP, he served as Vice President and General Manager of the Americas region for VMware in the heart of Silicon Valley. Rich started his technology career at IBM, spending 15 years in key executive and management positions in the U.S. and global sales roles.

Leadership and talent development is a key priority for Rich. He believes that people are central to success and therefore places a tremendous focus on building world-class teams. He is committed to building an inclusive and diverse organization that reflects the world at-large in which everyone can contribute and reach their full potential.

Rich graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from William Paterson University, an MBA in Finance from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and is a graduate of the 2008 Stanford Executive Program.

He has incredible gratitude for William Paterson University and the amazing four years he experienced as a Pioneer. Rich, a first-generation college student who paid his own way through WP, found his calling on campus. Though he entered as a criminal justice major with hopes to work for the FBI, he was inspired to switch his major to accounting, and landed two internships with IBM in Paramus, New Jersey just as the PC revolution began. Those internships led to fulltime employment with the company after commencement.

Rich, who has generously supported the Fund for WP and the University’s Cotsakos College of Business since 2010, credits William Paterson University with opening many doors for him, preparing him to successfully enter the business world, and giving him the Will.Power. to create and grow his dream technology career spanning three decades.