Ruben Perez

Senior Director of Sales, Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau

Age: 37

Ruben Perez’s father spent 36 years working at the same hotel. That must have influenced Perez, because he took a job in the hospitality industry 16 years ago and has never looked back. He started his job with the Dallas CVB in mid-2011, and he and his sales staff booked more 1 million rooms last year, ending the year with a record-breaking fourth quarter. “Bringing groups into the city helps keep the people who live here employed,” he says. “And that means everyone, from taxi drivers to dishwashers to maids. By creating a positive economic impact, we not only serve our visitors, but our local community as well.”