| Juan Roig | |
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Juan Roig in October 2013
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| Born | Juan Roig Alfonso 8 October 1949 Valencia, Spain |
| Residence | Valencia, Spain |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Education | Economics, University of Valencia
Advanced Management Program, IESE Business School of the University of Navarra |
| Occupation | Owner & President of Mercadona |
| Net worth | US$5.30 billion (October 2015) |
| Spouse(s) | Hortensia Herrero |
| Children | 4 |
Juan Roig Alfonso (born 8 October 1949) is a Spanish billionaire businessman, president of Mercadona, the Spanish supermarket chain.
Early life
Juan Roig was born on 8 October 1949 in Valencia. He studied in a Jesuit school in Valencia, then in a boarding school, and graduated in economics at Valencia, but was not an outstanding student.
His parents ran a chain of eight butchers’ shops (Cárnicas Roig) in La Pobla de Farnals, later converted to grocery stores.
Business career
With three of his five brothers, Juan Roig bought the shops from his parents in 1981. He largely bought out his brothers in 1991, and went on to build up the Mercadona supermarket chain, which now runs over 1,400 stores. His success in retail has been based on a risky strategy of competitive pricing, and on technological innovations such as barcode scanners and automated distribution facilities. He introduced full-time contracts for all employees in the late 1990s.
Roig was awarded the Prince Felipe Prize for Business Excellence in 2010.
Personal wealth
Forbes magazine in October 2013 reported that Roig was worth 5,800 million euros, the second largest fortune in Spain. This in fact is the estimated value of the 78% stake in Mercadona jointly owned by himself and his wife. But since Mercadona shares are not publicly quoted, the figure is somewhat speculative. As of October 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$5.3 billion. The shareholding yielded dividend income totalling over $400 million between 2006 and 2013 for Roig and his wife jointly.
From a mere butcher store which specializes in offering food products, Juan Roig’s father Francisco Roig Ballester was able to develop the Carnica Roig into Mercadona which is now a grocery store directed by Juan Roig. His wife Hortensia and siblings Amparo, Francisco, Trinidad, and Fernando are also involved in the business’ operation but only Juan took the courage to lead the company.
Mercadona now is a family owned business which specializes in offering a wide variety of goods including foods, hygiene, household cleaning, medicines, pet products, dried and fresh goods as well as perfumes. Juan Roig established a Total Quality Model which would ensure the satisfaction of the five major components of the company which includes the capital, the company, the worker, the head and the provider.
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