Who We Are
Who is Pereira Ruimwyk Enterprise CEO?
- José Pereira is a bestselling author, international speaker, executive resilience coach, and senior oil and gas executive with over 35 years of experience in the global energy industry. He began his career at PDVSA, participating in the Sisor Project, one of the most significant oil development initiatives in eastern Venezuela.
- He later played an active role in the country’s petrochemical and oil opening processes, working on operational agreements with international companies such as ENI (Italy), Teikoku Oil (Japan), and CNPC (China), contributing to the expansion of global energy partnerships. Pereira went on to hold leadership roles in the strategic Orinoco Belt projects, including Ameriven, Petrozuata, Sincor, and Operadora Cerro Negro, developed alongside major multinational oil companies.
- He later served as Finance Director of PDVSA and General Manager of Corporación Venezolana del Petróleo (CVP), overseeing 44 international joint ventures. In the United States, he rose to become CFO, President, and CEO of CITGO Petroleum, leading one of the country’s most important refining and marketing companies.
- After surviving nearly five years of wrongful imprisonment in Venezuela as part of the internationally known Citgo6 case, Pereira transformed his experience into a mission focused on leadership under pressure, resilience, and purpose. He is the author of From Hero to Villain and UNBREAKABLE.
- His memoir From Hero to Villain received the International Impact Book Award (IIBA) 2025 for Best Historical Biography and achieved #1 Amazon Bestseller status five times across multiple categories and countries.
- Today, he is the founder of JoseConnect.com LLC, where he leads the Unbreakable Leadership executive coaching program. As an international keynote speaker, he has delivered talks at the United States Congress, United Nations forums, Fortune 500 companies, and global symposiums at leading universities including Harvard, Rice, Stanford, Berkeley, and Hershey. He is also the host of the Building Resilience podcast and the TV show “Unbreakable Leaders” (Líderes Inquebrantables) on Now Media TV, Chairman of the nonprofit Angels Helping on Earth, and an active leader in his church ministry.
- Pereira serves on multiple boards and organizations in the United States, including Greenway International Foundation and Conscious Capitalism Houston. He is an International Goodwill Ambassador for Human Rights with the Latin American Institute for Human Rights, a member of Latino Leaders in the U.S., an honorary member of Who’s Who in America, and has been recognized as a Top Voice 25 USA on LinkedIn.
- Through his work, Pereira combines deep energy industry expertise with powerful insights on resilience, faith, and purpose-driven leadership, inspiring audiences worldwide.
My Journey
- My journey is one of transformation—shaped by leadership, adversity, faith, and purpose.
- I began my professional path in Venezuela’s oil and gas industry, building a career that would span more than 35 years. Starting at PDVSA, I was part of the Sisor Project in eastern Venezuela, where I gained firsthand experience in large-scale energy operations. As the country entered the era of the petrochemical and oil opening (Apertura Petrolera), I worked on operational agreements with international companies such as ENI, Teikoku Oil, and CNPC, helping to expand Venezuela’s global energy partnerships.
- Over time, I took on greater leadership roles in the strategic projects of the Orinoco Belt, including Ameriven, Petrozuata, Sincor, and Operadora Cerro Negro—some of the most important heavy oil developments in the world. I later served as Finance Director of PDVSA and General Manager of Corporación Venezolana del Petróleo (CVP), overseeing 44 international joint ventures. Eventually, my journey led me to the United States, where I became CFO, President, and CEO of CITGO Petroleum, leading one of the most significant refining and marketing companies in the country.
- But my journey was not only defined by success.
- In 2017, I was wrongfully detained in Venezuela as part of the Citgo6 case. I spent nearly five years in captivity, facing extreme conditions, isolation, and uncertainty. During that time, I experienced profound physical and emotional challenges—including losing significant weight due to lack of food and enduring a life-threatening health crisis. Yet, it was also during those darkest moments that I rediscovered the power of faith, resilience, and inner strength.
- My family became a lifeline. Through extraordinary effort and sacrifice, they created a way to send me food, medicine, and hope—reminding me every day that I was not alone. Those years reshaped my perspective on leadership, purpose, and what truly matters in life.
- When I was finally released, I made a decision: my story would not end in suffering—it would become a mission.
- Today, I channel everything I have lived—my executive leadership, my global energy experience, and my personal journey through adversity—into helping others. As an international speaker, author, and executive coach, I work with leaders around the world to help them navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and lead with clarity, courage, and purpose.
- My journey is proof that even in the most challenging circumstances, it is possible to rise, rebuild, and lead with an unbreakable spirit.
My Purpose
- My purpose today is to serve as a bridge between experience and opportunity—helping U.S. and international companies confidently navigate the new era of Venezuela’s oil and gas sector.
- Having lived and led through every phase of the industry—from the early operational agreements of the Apertura Petrolera, to the development of the Orinoco Belt strategic projects, and later leading at the highest executive level as CEO of CITGO—I bring a rare, end-to-end perspective of how Venezuela’s energy system truly works: technically, commercially, and geopolitically.
- This new chapter, driven by political change and the reopening of the sector to U.S.-based and global companies, represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity. But it also requires clarity, structure, trusted relationships, and deep understanding of both local dynamics and international compliance frameworks.
- My purpose is to help organizations:
- Enter Venezuela the right way, with the proper strategy, structure, and partners
- Navigate regulatory and operational complexity with confidence
- Build sustainable, compliant, and profitable business models
- Avoid costly mistakes by leveraging real-world experience and trusted networks
- Through my advisory work, speaking, and leadership programs, I guide companies and leaders to move beyond uncertainty and into informed, strategic action.
- More than business, this is about contributing to the responsible reactivation of Venezuela’s energy industry, supporting economic recovery, and helping build a future where opportunity, integrity, and long-term value creation go hand in hand.owering your business to thrive through innovative solutions.