Horst Paulmann is the German-Chilean entrepreneur that founded Cencosud, an international retail chain with holdings in throughout Latin America. Paulmann immigrated to Chile following the Second World War. He founded Cencosud in 1978. With the help of his brother Jürgen, the Paulmanns built the Cencosud empire up to become Chile’s largest retailer.
Horst Paulmann’s children Manfred, Heike and Peter have all been involved in Cencosud’s business affairs. In 2011, Manfred left his post as Vice-President due to management differences with his father. Since then, he has focused on his own retail store, MaxiK, with 90 locations throughout Chile. He also recently partnered with other entrepreneurs on real estate. While the 80-year-old Horst Paulmann still heads Cencosud, it is looking increasingly likely that he will divest himself of his responsibilities in the very near future.
Late in his life, Jürgen Paulmann also founded a corporation of his own. Sky Airlines is a low-cost carrier that services South America. Jürgen passed away just over a decade after founding the company, but his son, Horst, continues on as CEO in his stead.
