Carlos Alberto Bulgheroni
ArgentinaBiography of Carlos Alberto Bulgheroni
Early Life and EducationCarlos Alberto Bulgheroni is an Argentine entrepreneur and one of the most important figures in the national energy system. He was born in Rufino, Santa Fe province. His mother was Spanish and his father was Italian. Bulgheroni received his education at the University of Buenos Aires, where he earned a degree in law in 1970.
Career
In 1969, Bulgheroni was diagnosed with lymphoma, but he successfully defeated the disease after undergoing treatment. After his recovery, he joined his father Alejandro in the family business, the Bridas Corporation. The corporation was founded by the Bulgheroni family in 1948 and has since become one of the largest private firms in the Argentinian energy sector.
After his father's death in 1985, Carlos Bulgheroni and his older brother Alejandro Jr. inherited the controlling stake in the company. Carlos quickly became a key specialist in resolving political issues and established valuable connections in the government. Despite the changing governments, Bulgheroni consistently managed to establish the necessary contacts.
In 1993, he became the president and chairman of the company, and in 1997, he also took on the role of president of PanAmerican Energy. Bulgheroni played a significant role in the activities of EDIC, an oil and natural gas exploration and supply company, which operated in North Africa, Russia, Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Far East.
In 1992, Bulgheroni successfully negotiated contracts for gas field exploration in Turkmenistan, during a time when the country had just begun collaborating with foreign companies in this field. While negotiations with Unocal seemed to secure contracts, the results were later canceled in favor of Bridas. However, due to the unstable political situation in Afghanistan, Bridas was unable to construct the pipeline specified in the contract, and the government returned to Unocal.
In addition to his involvement in Bridas, Bulgheroni held various positions in other organizations. He served as co-chairman of the International Committee of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was a member of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, Foundation for Latin American Economic Research, Argentine Russian Business Council, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
In 2010, the Bulgheroni brothers sold 50% of Bridas to the Chinese oil giant CNOOC for $3.1 billion. Later, they reclaimed a 20% stake in PanAmerican Energy, the second most important player in the Argentine market.
