Rich Widmann is a lawyer and senior business operator with extensive experience in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. He serves as the Global Head of Strategy for Web3 at Google Cloud, where he co-founded the company's first dedicated Web3 initiatives. ^{[1] [2] [4]}

Education

Richard Widmann earned a Juris Doctor from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (2013–2015). He also completed a Master of Science in Education at the University of Pennsylvania (2011–2013) and received a Bachelor of Arts in History from the The College of New Jersey (2007–2011). ^[4]

Career

Early Career

Before entering the legal profession, Richard Widmann worked as a middle school teacher at Mastery Schools from 2011 to 2013. He also held an IT compliance and operations co-op position at Johnson & Johnson between 2009 and 2012, where his responsibilities included supporting enterprise software deployment, assisting with process improvement initiatives, and contributing to supply-chain technology projects. These roles provided early experience across education, operations, and corporate environments.

Legal Career and Transition into Web3

Widmann began his legal career at Sidley Austin LLP, where he worked from 2015 to 2019 as an associate attorney handling securities, regulatory enforcement, and financial corruption matters. His work included advising on disputes involving digital asset projects, exchange listings, and regulatory investigations, which contributed to his increasing involvement with emerging blockchain-related legal issues. During this period, he began advising founders and companies associated with the Ethereum ecosystem on compliance and governance considerations.

He later joined Google, initially serving in product counsel roles focused on regulatory and digital asset matters before becoming Head of Strategy, Web3, within Google Cloud in 2022. In this capacity, he contributes to strategic initiatives related to blockchain infrastructure, digital asset adoption, and enterprise engagement with decentralized technologies. His work has also included participation in industry governance and standards discussions, including involvement with the legal and regulatory committee associated with Hedera.

Alongside his industry roles, Widmann has held academic appointments as an adjunct professor of law at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and the The University of Texas School of Law, where he teaches courses addressing blockchain, cryptocurrency, and related legal frameworks. He has also served in governance roles within the financial services sector, including as an independent board member of Summit National Bank and as an independent board member and audit committee chair at Fortress Trust. These positions reflect a career path that combines legal practice, corporate strategy, and institutional oversight within both traditional finance and digital asset markets.^{[1] [2] [4]}