Francisco Manuel dos Santos purchased the Jeronimo Martins retail because he saw an opportunity to revitalise the failing retail chain. After years of hard work, he succeeded in re-establishing Jeronimo Martins as a trusted family brand in Portugal.
Francisco’s grandson Alexandre Soares dos Santos assumed leadership from his father in 1968. He is the third generation of the family. Alexandre differed greatly from his father’s manufacturing focus as he shifted the company towards distribution. Under his leadership, the company expanded into Poland, acquiring the Biedronka retail chain. They further expanded into Colombia with their acquisition of Ara, another retail chain.
In 2017, when the company became the 76th-largest international retail firm, Alexandre handed over control to his son Pedro. Pedro has in many ways followed in the footsteps of his father. They both studied but did not complete a law degree. He worked his way up the ranks of the company to become CEO. Pedro stands by the products of Jeronimo Martins, personally testing out each and every product. He was in charge of Biedronka during the 2009 financial crisis, which is cited as the entity that helped Jeronimo Martins pull through the difficult international economic situation. He is still CEO of the firm to this day.
