Javier G. Gutierrez: Ecopetrol President

Javier Genaro Gutierrez Pemberthy was born in 1951 in Bogota, Columbia. He graduated from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogota in 1975 and is a civil engineer. He also has a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the same university. In 1981 Javier took a course in Electric System Expansion Planning at the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, USA. He also took a specialization course in Finance at Universidad EAFIT in Medellin.

Javier began his career in 1975 working with the Interconexión Electrica S.A. E.S.P. –ISA- in the field of Electrical Planning with an emphasis on Hydraulic Resources and Expansion Models for the Planning of the Columbian Electric System.  He climbed the corporate ladder and served as General Manager from 1992 until January 2007. Javier then became the President of Ecopetrol S.A.

Among his major achievements since leading the company include its entry in the stock markets of Columbia and the U.S. Javier has also internationalized the company which now has operations in the U.S., Brazil and Peru.  The policies on Corporate Governance and human talent have been strengthened. There was also the creation of a corporate group that today has strong presence in exploration and production, refining, transportation, bio-fuels and the marketing of crude oil and refined products.

Javier has been recognized various times for his leadership achievements including receiving in 2002 the “Portafolio” award in the “Best Corporate Leader” category. América Economίa Magazine awarded him in 2005, with the “Excellence” award in the category of “Internationalization,” and in that same year the newspaper “La Repùblica” recognized him as one of the top ten executives of the year in Columbia.

Javier was a member of the Advisory Board for Corporación Calidad and the Advisory Board for Bolsa de Valores de Columbia (Columbian Stock Exchange) among others.

Ecopetrol formerly known as Empresa Colombiana de Petróleos S.A. is the largest and primary petroleum company in Columbia.