Carlos M. de la Cruz, Sr. is a Cuban-born American businessman, the chairman of CC1 Companies, Inc. which include Coca-Cola Puerto Rico Bottlers, CC1 Beer Distributors, Inc., Coca-Cola Bottlers Trinidad & Tobago, and Florida Caribbean Distillers, LLC. The companies together employ 2,500 people and have annual sales of $1 billion.

He born in Havana, Cuba, De la Cruz left Cuba with his family in 1960 to the United States. He received a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 1962, and a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in 1963; and a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1979. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1963 and a Masters in Business Administration in 1964 from the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.

From 1993 to 1995, De la Cruz was Chairman of the Board of Directors of United Way of Dade County and Campaign Chairman in 1991. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Cuba Study Group. In the past he has served on the boards of Georgetown University, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, Florida International University, the Dade Foundation, the Business Assistance Center, and Miami Partners for Progress.

De la Cruz is a Lifetime Trustee and was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University of Miami from 1999 through 2001.