Cristihan Pinto

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Class of 2024, Peru
CEO of Alimentos Cielo


Share the joy of Cristihan Pinto’s winning moment at Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Peru.


Cristihan Pinto is nourishing communities and bringing food security throughout Peru.

Cristihan Pinto and his family emigrated from Sandia in the highlands of Peru to the city of Lima in search of new opportunities. In 1998, they opened their first store selling groceries in the Santa Anita district’s wholesale market, investing the family’s remaining savings to do so. From those humble beginnings, the Pintos’ unity fueled a journey of growth.  

Cristihan and the family envisioned producing foods and started with oils by establishing Alimentos Cielo’s first industrial plant in 2006. Less than a decade later, they began producing flour and noodles. Today, the family business has a soybean oil refinery, two wheat mills and three pasta production lines that produce high-quality food for mass consumption at affordable costs for low-income Peruvian families.  

With an oil production capacity that has soared from 300 to 2,100 tons per month, Alimentos Cielo’s reach now extends to over 60% of Peruvian territory, nourishing communities that have long been deprived of access to nutritious food. The company’s ambitious US$30m investment plan over the next decade is a testament to its vision of becoming Peru’s leading consumer foods company, expanding its categories and continuing to serve as a pillar of the nation’s food security. 

The important thing is to take the first step and go step by step until you achieve success — and never go back.