Gustavo A. Cisneros

Gustavo A. Cisneros is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Cisneros Group of Companies, one of the largest privately held media, entertainment, telecommunications and consumer products organizations in the world.

As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 1968, Gustavo Cisneros has dedicated himself to both the strategic development of the Cisneros Group and the overall advancement of the region.  His leadership has helped to enhance Latin America’s profile on the global stage, cultivate new industries, promote education and the principles of democracy and individual liberty, increase access to information, and advance technological growth.

Today, the Cisneros Group of Companies owns or holds interests in more than 30 companies that serve millions of customers in over 100 countries.  Operations range from broadcast television, television production, and telecommunications to beverage businesses and travel resorts.  Through its diverse businesses and partnerships, Cisneros delivers some of the most recognized brands and highest quality services to the 550 million Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking consumers in the Americas and Europe.  Some of the Cisneros Group of Companies’ key holdings include: Venevisión, Venevision International, Claxson Interactive Group Inc., Los Leones del Caracas and Cervecería Regional.

Gustavo Cisneros sits on the board of directors of Barrick Gold Corporation and is a Senior Advisor for RRE Ventures LLC.  He is also a member of the International Advisory Board of Barrick Gold Corporation.

In addition to his responsibilities related to the Cisneros Group, Gustavo Cisneros is a charter member of the United Nations Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Task Force and a board member of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UN-USA).  He holds positions on the International Advisory Council of Columbia University; the Latin American Board at Georgetown University; the University Council at Rockefeller University; and the Board of Overseers at Babson College; and on the Advisory Committee for the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University; and the Board of Governors of the Joseph H. Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Cisneros also sits on the International Advisory Board of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Chairman’s International Advisory Council of The Americas Society, the Board of Overseers of the International Center for Economic Growth, the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution, the Chairman’s Council of The Museum of Modern Art, the Board of Trustees and International Museum Council of The Paley Center for Media, and the Board of Directors for Queen Sofía Spanish Institute.

With his wife, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, and brother, Ricardo, Gustavo Cisneros established the Fundación Cisneros, a philanthropic organization committed to the future of Latin America.  The Fundación operates and funds an array of innovative projects whose benefits can be felt throughout the region every day.  Its initiatives focus on education, culture, social services, and increasing global awareness of contemporary Latin America.  The Fundación Cisneros draws on the resources of the Cisneros Group to build innovative programs and partnerships that fortify communities, promote freedom of speech, encourage economic independence, and foster cross-cultural understanding.

Gustavo Cisneros received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Babson College, in Wellesley, Massachusetts.


Last updated on May 1, 2008.