Grupo Nutresa

Jaime Gilinski Bacal and his family, in partnership with Abu Dhabi's International Holding Company (IHC), hold a combined stake above 85% as of late 2024. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, IHC's chairman, serves as chairman of Nutresa's board. The Gilinskis and IHC executed the acquisition through a series of tender offers beginning in 2021 that broke up the Grupo Empresarial Antioqueño (GEA) cross-holding structure.

Nutresa is a multi-category processed-food manufacturer with more than 65 brands across eight business segments: cold cuts, biscuits, chocolates, coffee, ice cream, pasta, retail food, and food service. Core brands include Zenú (cold cuts), Colcafé (coffee), Crem Helado (ice cream), and Saltinas Noel (biscuits). The firm operates 47 production plants across the Americas.

Starting in 2021, the Gilinski Group launched a series of public tender offers targeting the GEA's largest companies: Grupo Sura, Grupo Argos, and Grupo Nutresa. By exchanging cross-held stakes and buying shares in the open market across multiple rounds, the Gilinskis and IHC accumulated majority positions. The final mandatory tender offer in November 2024 pushed their combined holding past the 85% threshold, triggering de-listing.

IHC is Nutresa's largest co-investor alongside the Gilinskis. The Abu Dhabi conglomerate, chaired by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, funded a significant portion of the acquisition and holds board seats. The partnership extends beyond Nutresa—the same Gilinski-IHC consortium controls Banco GNB Sudameris and holds interests in other Colombian companies, making Nutresa one component of a wider family office-to-conglomerate alignment.

Yes. Nutresa Ventures is the firm's corporate venture vehicle, focused on minority investments in early-stage food-tech and agri-tech startups. Target areas include alternative proteins, sustainable packaging, e-commerce and direct-to-consumer platforms, and supply-chain technology. The unit operates out of Medellín and invests primarily in Latin America with select exposure to US and European startups.

No. After the Gilinski-IHC consortium crossed the 85% ownership threshold in November 2024, Nutresa initiated a de-listing process from the Colombian Stock Exchange. The firm now operates as a privately held corporation. Minority shareholders who did not participate in the tender offers retain certain statutory rights under Colombian corporate law but the shares no longer trade on a public market.

Jaime Gilinski Bacal's wealth originated in banking—he acquired and consolidated Banco de Colombia, Banco Andino, and Banco GNB Sudameris—alongside real estate development across Latin America and the United States. The Gilinski Group functions as a de facto family office holding company with interests in financial services, food manufacturing, media, and property. Nutresa is the industrial food platform within that broader structure.