Grupo Cisneros is a privately held, family owned business headquartered in
Coral Gables,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, historically based in
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
, with a focus on Latin American and Spanish-speaking people worldwide. It is a conglomerate of media entertainment, digital media, property investment, tourism development and consumer product companies which reaches 550 million Spanish and Portuguese-speaking consumers in the Americas and Europe. It also provides media content to more than 100 countries. Its current CEO is
Adriana Cisneros.
History
D. Cisneros & Cia.: 1929-1953
![Diego Cisneros](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Diego_Cisneros.jpg)
Grupo Cisneros was founded in 1929 in
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
by
Diego Cisneros
Diego Jesús Jiménez de Cisneros Bermúdez (September 27, 1911 – July 15, 1980) was a Cuban–born Venezuelan businessman. He founded Grupo Cisneros.
Early life
Cisneros was born in Havana, Cuba, to parents Diego Jiménez de Cisneros y G ...
and his elder brother Antonio José Cisneros as a small material transport business called D. Cisneros & Cia.
The brothers then obtained a license to operate a bus route and transformed the dump truck business into a bus business. In time, the Cisneros brothers created a bus line made up of 400 buses, which they sold in 1939.
In 1939, D. Cisneros & Cia. became an exclusive franchiser for
Norge
Norge is Norwegian (bokmål), Danish and Swedish for Norway.
It may also refer to:
People
* Kaare Norge (born 1963), Danish guitarist
* Norge Luis Vera (born 1971), Cuban baseball player
Places
* 11871 Norge, asteroid
Toponyms:
*Norge, Oklah ...
,
Hamilton Watch Company
The Hamilton Watch Company is a Swiss manufacturer of wristwatches based in Bienne, Switzerland. Founded in 1892 as an American firm, the Hamilton Watch Company ended American manufacture in 1969. Through a series of mergers and acquisitions, t ...
, and
REO Truck brands in Venezuela. In 1940, rapid growth led to the acquisition of the exclusive license manufacture and bottling concession of
Pepsi-Cola
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by PepsiCo. Originally created and developed in 1893 by Caleb Bradham and introduced as Brad's Drink, it was renamed as Pepsi-Cola in 1898, and then shortened to Pepsi in 1961.
History
Pepsi was ...
products in Venezuela, which established the company's fortune. In 1944, the company founded Liquid Carbonic, which produced
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide (chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is transpar ...
as well as other beverage products.
In 1947, D. Cisneros & Cia. went on to represent the car maker,
Studebaker
Studebaker was an American wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana, with a building at 1600 Broadway, Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 as the Studebaker Brothers M ...
, in Venezuela, and in 1952 founded Helados Club Ice Cream Company, which was later renamed Helados Tio Rico, S.A., and was known as
Tio Rico
This is a list of brands owned by the British multinational consumer goods company Unilever.
Unilever's billion euro brands
These brands have annual sales of one billion euros or more:
* Axe/Lynx
*Dove
*Omo/Persil
* Heartbrand (Wall's) ice ...
ice cream, and became the country's largest ice cream maker.
Cisneros Group of Companies: 1953-1970
In 1953, D. Cisneros & Cia. consolidated its commercial and industrial entities under one corporate structure, which was called the Cisneros Group of Companies.
In 1968, the company founded Gaveplast, a company that produced plastic crates and cases for retail businesses for the beer and carbonated soft drink industries in South America.
Venevisión: 1961
The 1958 fall of Venezuelan president
Marcos Pérez Jiménez
Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military and general officer of the Army of Venezuela and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from 195 ...
, created many economic setbacks. This included one of
Televisa
Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content.
In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...
's investments in Venezuela,
Televisa (Venezuela)
Grupo Televisa is a Mexican multimedia mass media company. A major Latin American mass media corporation, it often presents itself as the largest producer of Spanish-language content.
In April 2021, Televisa and Univision Communications announce ...
aka Televisión Venezolana Independiente SA, which went into bankruptcy. In 1960, the President of Venezuela,
Rómulo Betancourt
Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello (22 February 1908 – 28 September 1981; ), known as "The Father of Venezuelan Democracy", was the president of Venezuela, serving from 1945 to 1948 and again from 1959 to 1964, as well as leader of Acción De ...
, proposed that Cisneros purchase Televisa. Cisneros purchased Televisa, and began airing channel 27 on February 27, 1961, resuming uninterrupted transmissions on March 1, 1961. Cisneros re-branded Televisa (Venezuela) as
Venevisión
Venevisión () is a Venezuelan free-to-air television channel and one of Venezuela's largest television networks, owned by the Cisneros Media division of Grupo Cisneros.
History
The company's roots date back to June 1, 1953, with the establish ...
on 27 February 1961.
Cisneros Group of Companies: 1970-2013
In 1970, when Diego Cisneros had a stroke, leadership of the company was transferred to two of his sons. In February 1970, Ricardo José Cisneros became Chief Operating Officer of Cisneros, and in March 1970,
Gustavo Cisneros
Gustavo Alfredo Jiménez de Cisneros Rendiles (born 1 June 1945) is a Venezuelan businessman and Chairman of ''Grupo Cisneros''.
Early life and education
Cisneros is the son of Diego Cisneros and Albertina Cisneros (née Rendíles Martínez).
...
, only recently graduating from college, assumed the position of chairman and chief executive officer of Grupo Cisneros.
Univision: 1992-2007
In 1992, as part of a consortium of American businessman
Jerry Perenchio
Andrew Jerrold Perenchio (December 20, 1930 – May 23, 2017) was an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. He was at one time the chairman and chief executive officer of Univision.
Early life
Perenchio was the grandson of Italian ...
, Mexican entrepreneur
Emilio Azcárraga Milmo
Emilio Azcárraga Milmo or Emilio Azcárraga Jr. (September 6, 1930 in San Antonio, Texas - April 16, 1997 outside Miami, Florida) was a Mexican-American businessman and the son of Emilio Azcárraga Vidaurreta and Laura Milmo Hickman. He was educa ...
, and Grupo Cisneros bought
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
for $500 million. Grupo Cisneros held a 25% stake in
Univision
Univision () is an American Spanish-language free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the Latino public and includes ...
and 12.5% stake in the Univision station group. The consortium ended up selling Univision for $13.7 billion in 2007.
DirecTV Latin America/Vrio: 1995-present
In 1995, Grupo Cisneros partnered with
Hughes Electronics Corporation
Hughes may refer to:
People
* Hughes (surname)
* Hughes (given name)
Places Antarctica
* Hughes Range (Antarctica), Ross Dependency
* Mount Hughes, Oates Land
* Hughes Basin, Oates Land
* Hughes Bay, Graham Land
* Hughes Bluff, Victoria Lan ...
to provide all-digital direct-to-home satellite television service throughout Latin America.
Grupo Cisneros: 2013-present
In August 2013, Gustavo Cisneros appointed daughter
Adriana Cisneros de Griffin as the new chief executive officer of Grupo Cisneros.
Adriana had previously spent five years working as Vice President of Strategy.
Current activity
The creation of Venevision International (currently Cisneros Media Distribution), which handles the distribution, marketing and production of entertainment content, significantly increased the international scope of the conglomerate's operations. Cisneros Media Distribution is currently one of the main programming suppliers for Univision, the leading Spanish-language television network in the United States. Parallel to company dealings,
In 2011, Grupo Cisneros established joint ventures with Chinese partners.
In November 2016, Adriana Cisneros Interactive started a partnership with
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
Latin America to be its exclusive reseller in Latin American countries including Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
As of 2019, Grupo Cisneros is the last independent media outlet in
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
.
[
]
Companies
The companies belonging to Cisneros include majority and minority stock interests in several corporations that are managed both directly or indirectly through partnerships, risk-sharing companies or alliances. Cisneros' companies are grouped into the following corporate divisions:
Cisneros Media
Cisneros' business unit, which includes its television broadcasting, production, content distribution, music and beauty contest companies.
Free-to-air and paid television channels
* Venevisión
Venevisión () is a Venezuelan free-to-air television channel and one of Venezuela's largest television networks, owned by the Cisneros Media division of Grupo Cisneros.
History
The company's roots date back to June 1, 1953, with the establish ...
largest television network in Venezuela, Its free-to-air signal covers entire the country.
* Chilevisión
Chilevisión (often abbreviated as CHV) is a Chilean free-to-air television channel. It is the third oldest Chilean television network, owned by Paramount Networks Americas, being founded by the University of Chile on November 4, 1960.
History
...
largest television network in Chile, Its free-to-air signal covers entire the country.
Paid television channels
* Venevisión Plus
Venevision Plus was a cable television channel within the Grupo Cisneros, controlled by tycoon Gustavo Cisneros, which holds 100% stake channel. Venevision Plus is based in Miami and from December 1, 2007, its signal is transmitted in Venezuela, w ...
: A subscription channel distributed internationally that offers 250 hours a month of programming in Spanish. Venevisión Plus is currently present throughout Latin America in its various feeds
* Ve Plus TV
VePlus is the updated name of the subscription channel of Cisneros Media. Previously known in some areas as Venevision Continental, Novelisima VePlus TV, V Mas TV (subsidiary of Grupo Cisneros), VePlus has retained much of the programming of Ven ...
: Formerly known as Novelísima, Ve Plus TV is a soap opera and entertainment channel with diverse programming such as talk shows, variety shows and comedy programs.
* VmasTV: Subscription entertainment channel directed to Colombian audiences, with various genres and formats, such as: drama, reality shows, comedy, and contests
Content and distribution
* Cisneros Media Distribution
Cisneros Media (abbreviated as CM, formerly known as Venevision International) is an entertainment company that broadcasts Spanish content in the United States and in other locations around the globe.
CMD is a Spanish-language Entertainment com ...
: Formerly known as Venevisión International
Cisneros Media (abbreviated as CM, formerly known as Venevision International) is an entertainment company that broadcasts Spanish content in the United States and in other locations around the globe.
CMD is a Spanish-language Entertainment com ...
, Cisneros Media Distribution is an entertainment company with more than 30 years’ experience in Spanish content distribution produced by Cisneros and other companies.
* Venevisión Productions: The largest independent Hispanic production company in the United States. Its programming is distributed internationally to over 90 countries around the world.
* Venevisión Studios: A facility for the production of television programming. It has six studios consisting of over 26,000 square meters, digital cameras, digital AES, which has the ability to produce programs for high-definition.
Entertainment and music
* Miss Venezuela
Miss Venezuela (Spanish: ''Organización Miss Venezuela'') is the national beauty pageant of Venezuela, traditionally held in September. It is preceded by two or three months of preliminary events, with the awarding of corporate prizes. The fi ...
: The Miss Venezuela beauty pageant is now a multimedia event. During the Interactive Gala, the public can vote for their preferred candidate through social media networks. In 2013, the Miss Venezuela contest partnered with CIC Media and Sony Entertainment to create a reality show titled ''“Todo por la Corona”'' ll For the Crownwhich was broadcast throughout Latin America by Univision. Similarly, in 2013 it partnered with P&G to create pan-regional product and works with 30 brands.
* VeneMusic: A record label belonging to Venevisión International, which produces, promotes and distributes Latin music from various genres, including television theme songs from Cisneros TV productions.
* Siente Music: A joint venture between Vene Music and Universal Music Latino, the award-winning division of Universal Music Group.
Cisneros Interactive
A corporate division of Cisneros develops digital businesses for Hispanic audiences in the United States and Latin America. Its business strategy is focused on two main areas: digital advertisement, both online and mobile, and e-commerce. Its main companies are:
* RedMas: One of the main Hispanic mobile ad networks and mobile studio. It offers its current and potential clients mobile design and development strategies for building mobile web sites in HTML5 and mobile applications for different operating systems such as Android, IOs, Windows, Symbian and tablets.
* Adsmovil: The main mobile publicity network in the Hispanic communications market in the U.S. and the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking markets in Latin America.
* Cuponidad: is a e-commerce website with daily sales offers in Peru and Venezuela. The former Colombian division filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
Cisneros Real Estate
Cisneros’ real estate division is in charge of developing and positioning the company's real estate investments which include commercial, industrial and residential properties located in various countries.
* Tropicalia: is a tourism real-estate development belonging to Cisneros. It is located in the El Seibo Province
El Seibo (), alternatively spelt El Seybo, is a province of the Dominican Republic. Before 1992 it included what is now Hato Mayor province.
Municipalities and municipal districts
The province as of June 20, 2006 is divided into the following m ...
of the Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
. Tropicalia is a long-term sustainable project involving thousands of coastal hectares in the southern costs of the Samana Bay. The project includes a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is an international luxury hotel and resort company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Four Seasons currently operates more than 100 hotels and resorts worldwide.Da ...
hotel that was designed by the Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld with a golf course that was designed by Tom Doak
Tom Doak is a golf course architect. He has 6 courses ranked among the top 100 in the world according to the "Top 100 Courses in the World" March 2021 list compiled by ''Golf Magazine.'' These include Pacific Dunes in Oregon, Ballyneal in Colorad ...
.
Consumer Products and Services
* SAECA Viajes y Turismo: is a corporate level travel agencies in Venezuela. It offers delivery of tickets and traveler assistance in 125 countries, access to the online Sabre
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
reservations system and call center service in the United States, Europe and Latin America.
* Laboratorios Fisa: manufactures and distributes personal beauty products and cosmetics in Venezuela. Its manufacturing lines includes hair care, soaps and deodorants, skin care products and fragrances for men and women.
* Americatel: Founded in April 1993, Americatel Sistemas de Comunicación C.A. is a long-distance telecommunications company. It offers corporate clients in Venezuela a "trunking" communication service, employing technology developed by Motorola, Inc. that allows a large number of users to share a relatively small number of communication paths. Americatel's service is currently offered in Caracas, La Guaira, Maracay, Valencia, Puerto Ordaz and Maturín.
See also
* Diego Cisneros
Diego Jesús Jiménez de Cisneros Bermúdez (September 27, 1911 – July 15, 1980) was a Cuban–born Venezuelan businessman. He founded Grupo Cisneros.
Early life
Cisneros was born in Havana, Cuba, to parents Diego Jiménez de Cisneros y G ...
* Gustavo Cisneros
Gustavo Alfredo Jiménez de Cisneros Rendiles (born 1 June 1945) is a Venezuelan businessman and Chairman of ''Grupo Cisneros''.
Early life and education
Cisneros is the son of Diego Cisneros and Albertina Cisneros (née Rendíles Martínez).
...
* Adriana Cisneros
* Venevisión
Venevisión () is a Venezuelan free-to-air television channel and one of Venezuela's largest television networks, owned by the Cisneros Media division of Grupo Cisneros.
History
The company's roots date back to June 1, 1953, with the establish ...
* Cisneros Media Distribution
Cisneros Media (abbreviated as CM, formerly known as Venevision International) is an entertainment company that broadcasts Spanish content in the United States and in other locations around the globe.
CMD is a Spanish-language Entertainment com ...
* List of Cisneros entities
List of all franchised brands, exclusive licensing, and entities – past and present – of Grupo Cisneros:
Key Cisneros dates
* 1929 – 1953: D. Cisneros & Cia., a small material-transport business
* 1953 – 1970: Cisneros Group of Compa ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cisneros, Grupo
Articles with unsourced statements from April 2013
Conglomerate companies of the United States
Conglomerate companies established in 1929
1929 establishments in Venezuela
Companies based in Miami-Dade County, Florida
Holding companies of Venezuela