Early Life and Education
Robert Pender was born in the United States. He graduated from Middlebury College with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1976 and obtained a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law School in 1982.
Rise to Success
Pender's career began in law, where he specialized in energy and infrastructure projects. Before co-founding Venture Global LNG in 2013, he was a partner at Hogan Lovells for over 28 years, where he led the Project & International Finance Group. During his time at Hogan Lovells, he worked on over $35 billion of energy, infrastructure, and power projects across various sectors, including LNG, nuclear, wind, and hydro. In 2013, Pender co-founded Venture Global LNG with Michael Sabel, and together they built the company into a leading LNG exporter. They own more than 80% of the company. Venture Global LNG went public in January 2025 with a valuation of nearly $60 billion.
Key Business Strategies
Venture Global LNG employed innovative modular construction techniques to rapidly develop export facilities, enabling fast growth. Pender and Sabel focused on strategic financing and navigating regulatory hurdles in the LNG sector. Venture Global has exported over 300 cargoes of LNG since starting operations in 2022.
Personal Life
Robert Pender is married to a niece of President John F. Kennedy. He resides in Falls Church, Virginia.
