From Saleswoman to Empire Owner: She Transformed Her Husband's Company Into a R$ 183 Million Business

From Saleswoman to Empire Owner: She Transformed Her Husband’s Company Into a R$ 183 Million Business

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 10/06/2025 at 17:45

Imagem: Reprodução/Instagram

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From Saleswoman to CEO, Kristina Bouweiri Transformed a Small Family Business into One of the Largest Limousine Networks in the United States

Kristina Bouweiri did not plan to enter the limousine industry. Her desire was to pursue a diplomatic career, like her father. Born in Japan, she spent 20 years living outside the United States because of her father’s job.

She studied international relations and even worked on projects aimed at women’s empowerment in Somalia. When she returned to the U.S., she found a job as a salesperson.

A Call That Changed Everything

During her time as a salesperson, she called William Bouweiri, the owner of a small limousine company in Virginia. They started dating, and four months later, Kristina joined the business. Within a year, the couple got married.

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Personal and Professional Challenges

Kristina faced a long struggle with infertility, lasting five years. During this time, she dedicated herself entirely to the company’s growth, working up to 16 hours a day.

When her twins were born, she had already structured the company to operate even during her maternity leave. Her husband took care of the children while she continued leading the business.

Crisis After September 11

The September 11, 2001 attack directly affected the transportation industry. Trips were canceled, contracts suspended, and corporate events interrupted. The biggest blow came when the company’s bank decided to cut funding.

They claimed that Reston Limousine vehicles in Washington D.C. could be targets for terrorist attacks. The company took six months to secure another bank and five years to become profitable again.

During this period, Kristina took over as CEO. Over time, she divorced and bought out her ex-husband’s share in the business. From then on, she took full command of the company she helped transform.

Impacts of the Pandemic on the Company

The COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest challenge in the company’s history. Demand plummeted, and it was necessary to lay off 300 of the 450 employees. The company had to resort to a government loan to continue operating.

With free time during the inactivity, Kristina made important adjustments. She hired consultants, cut expenses, eliminated unnecessary software, and reorganized operations. The result was a more efficient company, prepared for the post-pandemic period.

Overcoming Barriers in the Industry

Kristina also faced resistance for being a woman in a male-dominated industry. She attended meetings where she was ignored, even being the CEO.

Despite this, she remained steadfast in her leadership, confident in her value. Over the years, she paid for her three children’s college education and saw one of them become the company’s sales director.

In April of this year, Kristina Bouweiri sold Reston Limousine. Even with the sale, she will remain for three more years to support the transition.

She takes pride in her journey: she paid off the loan to buy her ex-husband’s share and built one of the largest limousine companies in the United States.

With information from PEGN.

From Saleswoman to Empire Owner: She Transformed Her Husband’s Company Into a R$ 183 Million Business

From Saleswoman to CEO, Kristina Bouweiri Transformed a Small Family Business into One of the Largest Limousine Networks in the United States

A Call That Changed Everything

Personal and Professional Challenges

Crisis After September 11

Impacts of the Pandemic on the Company

Overcoming Barriers in the Industry

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From Saleswoman to Empire Owner: She Transformed Her Husband’s Company Into a R$ 183 Million Business

From Saleswoman to CEO, Kristina Bouweiri Transformed a Small Family Business into One of the Largest Limousine Networks in the United States

A Call That Changed Everything

Personal and Professional Challenges

Crisis After September 11

Impacts of the Pandemic on the Company

Overcoming Barriers in the Industry

While an average building in London or New York takes three years to be completed, in China a 26-story tower went up in five days with about 100 workers, and the global modular construction market already moves US$ 95 billion per year.

A Chinese factory in Guangdong is assembling a humanoid robot every 30 minutes while Tesla, Figure, and Boston Dynamics still struggle to deliver 10 thousand per year.

Australia installs giant concrete structures on the seabed 800 meters from the shore to create an ocean intake for desalination that will draw in saltwater and produce 30 million liters of drinking water per day.

Secret chamber sealed 4,500 years ago found in the Pyramid of Khufu, and Hawass announces its opening to the world in 2026

A public school student single-handedly created a machine capable of treating water for up to 50 people using only solar energy. It was awarded third place at one of the most important science fairs in the world.

Germany installed vertical solar panels on a lake in Bavaria, and the result broke conventional logic: instead of producing energy at midday peak, the plant generates more early in the morning and in the evening, exactly when families turn on appliances and factories are in full swing.

While communities suffer from water scarcity and the advancing desert, women in Morocco use nets high up in the mountains to trap fog droplets, fill reservoirs, and transport drinking water through more than 10 km of piping.

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