Fernando is a travel industry visionary who founded F1S with his sister, Erika Reategui, in 1991. A vibrant and driven leader, Fernando has helped strategically grow the company into a thriving international venture. As CEO, Fernando is the big-picture thinker, building relationships with key global partners, overseeing all facets of the company, and propelling F1S forward as a creative and service-driven leader.
Travel has always been more than just a business for Fernando—he was born into it. His mother was at the helm of one of the first woman-owned travel agencies in New York, and travel has shaped his life from the start. It’s where his love of different cultures, people, customs and foods first began—and hasn’t stopped since. But that doesn’t mean he always pictured himself working in the industry. In fact, he was a 19-year-old in college, planning on a career either in architecture or engineering, when Erika approached him about launching First in Service. The rest is history.
The “left brain” of this brother-sister duo, Fernando is an unabashed optimist (His motto? “The glass is always ¾ full.”) who believes in the power of passion. A charismatic leader, he is a people person at heart—making connections and steering F1S with a trailblazing presence.
And his passion for travel has taken him far—literally. Along with his wife, Awilda, also in the travel industry, and daughter Sofia—a young jetsetter in her own right—the family has been to countless countries and cities around the world. His favorite trip to date? Israel, a place he says everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.
“I believe travel shapes who you are. It opens your eyes and your mind to everything and everyone around you. I want nothing more than to immerse people in the world. At F1S, our goal is for our clients to fully experience that—to enrich their lives through travel. To live through travel.”
