William Bouweiri was born in Beirut, Lebanon in 1956, the oldest of four children whose father left when he was five. Raised by a single mother in a middle eastern culture was difficult to say the least. At the age of 16, William went to a junior college to learn land surveying. At 17, he was sent to Saudi Arabia to build roads in the desert for his employer. For seven years he worked there and sent his paycheck home to his mother to support his family. By the time William left Saudi, he had been promoted to general manager of a construction company. 

During the years he was away from home, a civil war broke out in Lebanon and his family was able to emigrate to the United States. His mother and brothers found employment at a hotel in Washington DC. His mother worked as a cook in the employee cafeteria and his brothers worked as busboys. After a few years, his youngest brother got a job as a limousine driver. When William arrived from Saudi, he decided he too wanted to be a limo driver. 

Over the next few years William worked for several limousine services, always earning the rank of “top driver.” He worked around the clock and earned a good living. One day, he was giving an elderly woman from Texas a tour of Washington, and at the end of the tour she handed him two envelopes. In one envelope was the fare ($172.50) and in the other was a $5,000 tip. 

William used this very generous tip to buy his first limousine and start his own company. Several longtime customers followed him to the new company. His most valuable client was the former chairman of Merrill Lynch at the time. His loyalty and business to William gave his fledgling business a huge boost. Merrill Lynch used William’s company for all its local work, including Kennedy Center honors, Inauguration ceremonies, and the International Monetary Fund meetings. Because of his association with Merrill Lynch, William was also referred many of its clients and associates. Other long term, fifteen year clients include: Hyatt Regency Reston, Exxon Mobil, America Online, US Geological Survey and US Department of Justice. 

The first company William started in 1987 was located in Washington DC at the National Press Club. By 1990, he noticed an economic downturn, moved his business to Reston, changed its name to Reston Limousine, and diversified his fleet to include buses and vans. Envisioning the days of corporate clients using limousines coming to an end, William started an industry trend by branching into buses and vans as early as 1990. Today, it is the bus fleet that has sustained Reston Limousine and supported its growth into a thriving, award-winning company. 

A self-taught businessman, William quickly learned accounting and the other necessary skills he needed to run his business. From an early age, William was adept with technology and computers. In 1987 he hired a programmer to develop custom software for his business. A quick learner, William observed his consultants and was able to teach himself how to build computer programs and manage a network. For many years, every computer in the company was built by William. And, by 1995, Reston Limousine had its own website. 

In 2000, the Bouweiris sold their home in Herndon, moving into a hotel with four children under four while construction took place on their new custom home in Loudoun County. When building problems occurred, William made the decision to focus on completion of the house and turn the daily operations of the company over to his wife, Kristina. Today, he is a stay-at-home Dad retired from the day-to-day duties at Reston Limousine. Kristina took over the family business, and with William’s support and guidance became the company’s President and CEO.