Rafael Pastor

Since 2004, Rafael Pastor has been Chairman & CEO of Vistage International, the world’s leading chief executive membership organization. Established in 1957, headquartered near San Diego, and dedicated to executive development and education, Vistage helps more than 14,000 senior executives in 16 countries to become better leaders, making better decisions and achieving better results. The companies of Vistage’s members collectively employ more than two million people and generate approximately $300 billion in revenues.

Previously, Mr. Pastor lived in New York City and had an extensive background in both leading and advising business enterprises. He held senior executive positions at global media companies, including CEO of Hoyts Cinemas Corporation; President of USA Networks International; Executive Vice President, International, of News Corporation and Fox Television; and President of CBS/Fox Video International. He dealt with all aspects of the film, television, news and publishing businesses in the United States and throughout the world. Subsequently, he and his partners founded the Sonenshine Pastor investment banking and private equity firm.

Mr. Pastor started his career as an attorney, first at the Wall Street law firm of Hawkins, Delafield and Wood and then as Associate General Counsel at CBS Inc. He earned his BA degree from Columbia University and JD degree from NYU School of Law, serves on the boards of several not-for-profit organizations, and speaks several languages. He and his wife, Marina, reside in Rancho Santa Fe, and are the parents of Stefan (20) and Monica (16).

Recent Posts by Rafael

Foreigners Rooting For America’s Revival

Foreigners Rooting For America’s Revival

I’ve spent the last two weeks in Australia and China on business, and it’s been fascinating to hear international perspectives on Read More

Time to Merge or Acquire?

Time to Merge or Acquire?

The Wall Street Journal’s Sarah Needleman recently reported that during the second quarter of 2011, sales Read More

Support Small Businesses and Create Jobs

Support Small Businesses and Create Jobs

Quite understandably, there’s a growing level of impatience regarding continued high unemployment.   While the U.S. is making progress in certain aspects of the Read More

Vistage CEOs Send Clear Message to Washington Lawmakers

Vistage CEOs Send Clear Message to Washington Lawmakers

The results of the latest Vistage CEO Confidence Index are sobering, as confidence in the overall economy Read More

Help Wanted: Seeking 12 Million U.S. Jobs (And Your Input)

Help Wanted: Seeking 12 Million U.S. Jobs (And Your Input)

Next week, I’ll be moderating a panel at The Milken Institute Global Conference titled, Help Wanted: Seeking 12 Million U.S. Read More

If Uncertainty Is The Enemy of Confidence, How Can We Have A Government Shutdown?

If Uncertainty Is The Enemy of Confidence, How Can We Have A Government Shutdown?

What we’ve learned over the years through our Vistage CEO Confidence Index is that  Read More

Our Technology Imperative

Our Technology Imperative

At Vistage, we have four strategic imperatives , some or all of which may be imperatives for other companies as Read More

Our International Imperative

Our International Imperative

At Vistage, we have four strategic imperatives.  Some or all of them might apply to other companies too.
The third of our Read More

Our Organic Growth Imperative

Our Organic Growth Imperative

At Vistage, we have four strategic imperatives .  Some or all of these may apply to many other companies.
Today, I’d Read More

Our Brand Identity Imperative

Our Brand Identity Imperative

At Vistage, our four strategic imperatives are building the brand, growing organically, expanding internationally, Read More

Our Four Strategic Imperatives

Our Four Strategic Imperatives

The current economic environment may be improving, but we’re not out of the woods just yet.   To make matters even more challenging, events overseas have Read More

Commerce and Courage on Presidents Day

Commerce and Courage on Presidents Day

Today, we celebrate Presidents Day.  (So since it’s a holiday, I’ll keep it brief).  Though we’ve been commemorating Washington’s Birthday in one form or another since the Read More

Education Partnerships

Education Partnerships

I recently joined the Board of Directors of the San Diego Regional Economic  Development Corporation .  The group is comprised of leaders from Read More

Why Training Matters

Why Training Matters

In my recent posts, I’ve written about how difficult it can be for small business CEOs to find Read More

Tiger Mom and Winning the Future

Tiger Mom and Winning the Future

In recent weeks, Amy Chua (aka The Tiger Mom) endured a firestorm of criticism, aimed largely at her parenting methods, which Read More

Jobs and the Growing Gap Between People and Opportunities

Jobs and the Growing Gap Between People and Opportunities

In my conversations with Vistage members, I’m hearing a great deal of consternation about how difficult it can be to identify Read More

A Call for Active Patience

A Call for Active Patience

The Q4 2010 Vistage CEO Confidence Index soared to 106.3, from 95.1 in Q3, marking the most dramatic spike in optimism Read More

Five Reasons To Be Confident About Our Economic Future

Five Reasons To Be Confident About Our Economic Future

Last week, we announced the results of our Q4 Vistage CEO Confidence Index , which Read More

The Greatest Gift

The Greatest Gift

Philip Van Doren Stern is hardly a household name.   You’ve probably never heard of him, but in the late 1930s, Stern wrote a short story Read More

No? Or just not again?

No? Or just not again?

On Monday, we released the results of our Q3 Vistage CEO Confidence Index .  Various media reported the newsworthy information: Read More

The Uncertainty Triad

The Uncertainty Triad

During the next week, Vistage member CEOs will do as they have done every quarter since 2003.  They will answer specific questions that reflect their level Read More

Which CEOs Are You Talking About?

Which CEOs Are You Talking About?

Some of what I’m reading lately about businesses and particularly CEOs concerns me deeply.   Most of America’s CEOs, like those who are Read More

Why Small Businesses Are Confident About the Future

Why Small Businesses Are Confident About the Future

Just last week we released the results of our Vistage CEO Confidence Index . We had over 1,600 CEO responses to a broad Read More