Colombian retailer Exito, in which French retailer Casino holds a majority stake, has appointed Carlos Mario Giraldo as CEO to replace retiring Gonzalo Restrepo Lopez.

Exito said yesterday (19 February) Lopez, who has headed up the group for 22 years, is leaving to “dedicate himself to his family and to new activities related to the development of Colombia”, the retailer said.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

As a result, Exito has appointed COO Giraldo to the role with effect from 19 March. He has held the COO position for five years and has 18 years of consumer and retail industry experience, including 13 years at Mexican confectioner Nutresa.

The announcement comes as Exito revealed a 22% increase in full-year profit to US$858.7m for the year to the end of December. Operating profit was up 16.7% to $494.2m, while sales climbed 15.7% to $10.2bn.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact