The Roig family from Valencia, Spain are the founders of Mercadona, one of the largest independent grocery chains in Europe. According to figures posted on their own website, the company is now operating more than 1,600 stores in Spain and Portugal, with annual revenue in 2018 of $27.2 billion. Based on his 63 per cent share, CEO and Chairman Juan Roig is estimated by Forbes to be worth $US2.9 billion, making him Spain’s richest grocer. His wife, Hortensia Herrero, owns 28 per cent and sits on the board as a Vice President, while brother Fernando, who also owns Villarreal football club, has the other 9 per cent, making them both billionaires themselves. After buying their parents out of the original family business in 1981, which had grown to include eight local butcher shops, three of the Roig siblings – Trinidad, Fernando and Amparo – took control of Mercadona. With the intention of completely reshaping it, it was majority shareholders Juan and his wife who turned it into a major grocery brand in Spain, opening 150 stores and taking on 10,000 employees in the next ten years. With four children all keen to be part of the journey, the Mercadona board of directors is a family affair, with all four taking up roles. This includes Carolina, who acts as Secretary of the Audit Committee, Hortensia (Carolina’s twin), Amparo and Juana, who has joined the company as purchasing manager after starting her career elsewhere. Since 2013, Roig has been investing in private equity companies via a start-up accelerator called Lanzadera based in Valencia.
