From Chevron to Coaching and Men’s Work

John Ciboneri is a retired Chevron executive, coach, and endurance athlete whose career has been defined by leadership, resilience, growth, and service.

He grew up in Ceres, a small town in central California, and grew up in a large Sicilian family where hard work and community values ​​shaped his outlook. He excelled in both academics and sports, graduating as valedictorian of his high school and earning recognition as the best player on the football field while captaining his baseball team as a catcher.

In 1984, Ciboneri graduated with honors from the University of California, Berkeley, with a degree in mechanical and petroleum engineering. He was inducted into Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, and received the Outstanding Student Award in Petroleum Engineering. He later added an MBA to his qualifications, enhancing his ability to combine technical expertise with business leadership.

His career with Chevron spanned more than three decades and took him around the world. He progresses through roles including Facilities Engineer, Process Safety Engineer, Field Supervisor, Project Engineer, Business Manager and Senior Project Manager. He has overseen projects worth up to $3 billion and managed multinational teams across the United States, Indonesia, and Australia.

After semi-retirement in 2017, Chiboneri shifted his focus to personal development, training and endurance sports. He has completed more than a dozen Half Ironman races and swum the 13-mile Rottnest Channel in Australia. Today, he works with men’s groups, recovery programs, and athletes, blending leadership, sports, and the NIGRAM to help others build resilience and authentic connection.

Q&A with John Ciboneri

Can you tell us about your early years and what influenced you the most?

I grew up in Ceres, a small farming town in central California, in a large Sicilian family. Being the youngest of four, I quickly learned the value of hard work. My parents and my community have taught me that perseverance and service are important. I poured myself into both school and sports. I graduated as valedictorian and was named Most Valuable Player on the soccer team, while also captaining my baseball team. Out of my entire class, only three of us went to university, and I was proud to be one of them.

What inspired you to study engineering at UC Berkeley?

When I was 14, I read a book that said: If you’re good and attuned to science, you should be an engineer. I studied Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering at Berkeley, graduating with honors in 1984. I was accepted into Tau Beta Pi and also received the Outstanding Student Award in Petroleum Engineering. But more than the awards, Berkeley taught me how to make sure I really understood the problem at hand, which made finding the solution much clearer. Problems rarely have easy solutions, and I’ve learned how to approach them with curiosity and persistence.

How did you start your career at Chevron?

I started working as a facilities engineer in Bakersfield, California. From there, I moved through different roles and locations: Louisiana, Michigan, Indonesia, Texas, and finally Australia. Each step added a new layer of responsibility. I became a process safety engineer, then a field supervisor, then a project engineer and business manager. Eventually, I was a Senior Project Manager leading projects worth up to $3 billion.

What is one of the biggest lessons learned from leading such large projects?

Large projects are daunting on paper. The numbers are huge, and the risks are great. But when you break it down, it always comes back to the people. Processes are crucial, of course, but trust and leadership are what gets a project over the finish line. Building trust between teams, especially international teams, has been both a challenge and a reward.

Your work has taken you all over the world. How did that shape you?

Working in Indonesia and then in Australia broadened my perspective. See for yourself how culture and context influence decisions. Leadership in Jakarta looks different than leadership in Houston, but the values ​​– respect, clarity and accountability – are the same. These experiences have made me a more resilient and empathetic leader.

Besides your professional career, you have been active as a father and coach. How did this balance happen?

I coached my sons’ sports teams from when they were five years old until their early teens – soccer, swimming, baseball, basketball, and soccer. It has been demanding at times, but very rewarding. Parents often tell me that their children want to play on my team because they learned the game and it was fun. This means a lot to me. Both of my sons are now engineers and business leaders, so it feels like things have come full circle.

I have also been involved in endurance sports. How did that happen?

In my 40s, I was hooked on triathlon. I ended up completing over a dozen half iron men. One of the highlights of my life was swimming in the 13-mile-long Rottnest Channel off the coast of Perth, Australia. It was a real test of body and mind. Endurance sports teach you flexibility, and you learn that your mindset is often more important than your muscles.

After you retired from Chevron, what direction did you take?

I semi-retired in 2017 and shifted my focus to coaching and personal growth. I have studied the Enneagram in depth and am now completing my Narrative Enneagram Teacher Certification. Today, I work with men’s groups and recovery programs. Men often feel like they need to carry everything alone, but I’ve seen how growth happens when they have spaces to share and connect.

How do you see your role now compared to when you were managing multi-billion dollar projects?

The settings are different, but the goal is the same: to help people succeed. Back then it was about leading teams through complex engineering challenges. It is now about guiding individuals to build resilience, find balance, and connect with their true selves. In both, trust and integrity are key.

What motivates you today?

I live in San Rafael, California, and I practice yoga, hiking, biking, and pickleball. Coaching, mentoring and recovery work support keeps me engaged. What motivates me is simple: helping people grow. Whether it’s a billion dollar project or a men’s group, I try to live by the same values ​​- hard work, integrity, and service.