Welcome to Bia

BIA is a private investment firm that acquires, strengthens, and expands Latin American food and beverage businesses.

Meet Bia

Today, BIA is a steward of traditional Latino cuisine, delivering beloved products while expanding into new markets. The founding vision has propelled BIA to the ranks of the fastest-growing food companies in the U.S and LATAM.

History

“Bia” is Irish for food.

Bia is part of a group founded in 1885. BIA’s founding team had a vision of applying its experience and tested management methods to expand brands with large growth opportunities into new geographies and segments. As the team grew, it developed a specialty in three main segments: snacks, coffee and culinary. These categories represent ancestral Latino traditions and tie people from all over the world together.

The Future

In building for the future, BIA has looked to the past, investing in brands well known to Latin Americans.

BIA’s first three acquisitions were the most beloved food companies in their respective countries: Chocolates Best in Guatemala, San Marcos in Mexico and La Universal in Ecuador.

Natural products such as chocolate, coffee and chili peppers served as the link between Latin American consumers and their traditions, taking the best of Latino flavors to the United States and beyond.

Vision

Creating the strongest brands in the Americas, taking Latino heritage to the tables of more than 300 million consumers.

Our Values

Entrepreneurship

BIA encourages its employees to spearhead new projects and businesses, fostering innovation from within.

Excellence

BIA attracts and develops the best talent, encouraging collaboration and friendly competition among colleagues. Our employees follow the industry’s best practices and maintain a healthy work/life balance.

Sustainability

BIA businesses eliminate environmental, social, or other harms. We are leaders in conducting business in a sustainable manner.

Accountability

BIA’s employees take initiative and assume full responsibility for their performance. We allocate resources to the best use of the company and its shareholders.

Integrity

BIA’s employees follow all the ethical and moral standards outlined by the company. We raise problems and challenges to our teammates to ensure transparency and collaboration.

Entrepreneurship

BIA encourages its employees to spearhead new projects and businesses, fostering innovation from within.

Excellence

Sustainability

BIA businesses eliminate environmental, social, or other harms. We are leaders in conducting business in a sustainable manner.

Accountability

BIA’s employees take initiative and assume full responsibility for their performance. We allocate resources to the best use of the company and its shareholders.

Integrity

BIA’s employees follow all the ethical and moral standards outlined by the company. We raise problems and challenges to our teammates to ensure transparency and collaboration.

Founding Partners

Meet the entrepreneurs behind Bia.

Luis Miguel Castillo

Co-founder & Chairman of the Board

Currently Chairman of the Board of CBC, an anchor bottler for PepsiCo, and partner of a joint venture with AmBev, as well as Chairman of the Board of Beliv and Bia Foods, Mr. Castillo Joined CBC in 1995 and successfully transformed it from a Guatemalan soft drink company into a multinational corporation with operations in almost 20 countries and annual sales of
$1.6 billion.

As, Chairman of Bia, Mr. Castillo has used his experience in M&A and CPG brands to identify 30 investment targets and integrate then into the portfolio with succesful expansions in competitive markets such as U.S. an México.

Carlos Enrique Mata

Executive President

Executive President of CBC, Apex, Beliv, and Bia – all of which are companies that manufacture and distribute food & beverages throughout the U.S. Central America, the Caribbean, and South America. Mr. Mata has been with cbc since 1980.

Mr. Mata is the Director of AmBev Centroamericana. He is President of the CEAL chapter of Guatemala, wich promotes economic and social progress in Latin American countries through new business opportunities.

He also used to serve as Chairman of the Chamber of Exports and the Business council of Advertising.

Jose Maria Trullols

Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer

As co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Trullols led the structuring and financing of the Bia holding Company and set an M&A roadmap for the firm. Formerly Head of Latin American Business Development at Optima Fund Management -a fund with $6.6B in alternative assets under management during his tenure.

Through tenures at Morgan Stanley and Bank of New York Mellon, Mr. Trullols has over twenty years of investment experience and in-depth knowledge of the LATAM market. He built the first customized hedge fund for several of the most prominent Latin American families and won the first hedge fund Mandate from one of Brazil’s largest financial institutions.

Who we are

David Froment

CEO

12 years’ experience/MBA/Industrial Engineer

César Solórzano

Head of Coffee

17 years’ experience/MBA/Industrial Engineer

Cristian Samperio

Head of USA

13 years’ experience/MBA/Industrial Engineer

Carlos Aray

Head of South America

20 years’ experience/MBA/Business Administration

Jorge Herrera

Head of IT

24 years’ experience/MSC in informatics/Systems Engineer

Jorge Zeissig

Head of Trade

14 years’ experience/Master in finance/Industrial Engineer

Carlos Bosch

Head of Legal

10 years’ experience/LLM in Corporate Law/Law and Notary

Diego Aguilar

Head of Finance

12 years’ experience/MBA/Finance and Business Administration

Michele Marsicovetere

Culinary Head

20 years of Experience in FMCG Master in Marketing / Industrial Engineer.

Sammy Jazrawi

Central America & The Caribbean

10 years’ experience/Master in management/Business Administration

Antonio Travieso

Head of Mexico

David Froment

CEO

12 years’ experience/MBA/Industrial Engineer