Meet Juan Carlos Forero Perez, a project manager in our Oil, Gas and New Energies business based in Bogotá, Colombia. Juan Carlos joined Wood in 2018 supporting offshore, upstream, midstream and downstream projects locally and across the world.
When I joined Wood six years ago, there were around 250 people in Colombia’s WorkShare team, executing projects for Wood offices around the world. Now we are close to 500 people strong, and the headcount across the country has tripled to 1,500. Everyone plays their own crucial part in our success and it’s exciting to be part of this growth story.
I’m currently working across two major projects. The first is a detailed engineering design for a Floating Production Unit (FPU) designed for a water depth of around 2,500 metres to be located in the Trion field, approximately 30 km south of the U.S.-Mexico border and 180 km off the Mexican coast. What excites me most is the Bogotá team’s contribution. We’re executing between 40-45% of the total hours which allows us to continue growing our offshore capabilities. In addition, the interaction, one-team mindset and collaborative focus with our colleagues in Houston is remarkable.
Secondly, the Bogotá team is working on several projects within our Master Services Agreement with Chevron. We’re supporting downstream and manufacturing projects in three key refineries in the U.S. in El Segundo, Richmond and Pascagoula, an offshore project in Asia and upstream and midstream projects. The most interesting part of this contract is growing and developing effective and longstanding relationships with our Chevron clients based on delivering high quality and affordable outcomes on time.
It's not all about work though. As well as enjoying spending time with my young family, I have always been passionate about sports and a keen cyclist and tennis player. During the pandemic I started cycling more frequently as it gave me the perfect opportunity to spend time outdoors and participate in sport while staying socially distanced. I had a sense of freedom and it allowed me to keep in shape.
We have many keen cyclists at Wood, and when restrictions were lifted, we started cycling the famous Vuelta A La Sabana (VALS) route, also called ‘lap around the Savannah’ every Thursday. This is a route of about 80km that includes 13km climbs with scenic views through the mountains. Cycling together creates synergy and a greater connection between team members, and I believe that a healthy body and mind are important tools for success.
For me, Wood’s mission to design the future represents making the right decisions. It’s about driving towards the greatest outcome for individuals and our communities. I believe when we all pull in the same direction, when we connect with others and create synergy across teams, we achieve better results. I want to continue growing my career at Wood and leave my footprint on our collective success.
