Grupo Éxito appointed Juan Lucas Vega Palacio as its new general manager in Colombia, effective July 1, 2026. Vega, vice president of real estate since 2013, will continue leading the real estate business in the region. The appointment follows the resignation of Carlos Mario Giraldo, announced on April 20.
Almacenes Éxito announced the appointment of Juan Lucas Vega Palacio as general manager in Colombia following an internal succession process. Vega, a civil engineer with finance studies and an MBA, has led the group's real estate growth since 2013, turning Viva into a key mall brand. At the end of 2025, the business operated over 807,000 square meters of gross leasable area at 98% occupancy, with Viva Malls valued at $4 billion and an 80.7% EBITDA margin.
Vega expressed gratitude to Francisco and Carlos Calleja for their trust. "I assume this appointment with great gratitude and commitment. It is an honor to accompany from this new position the transformation process of Grupo Éxito," he said. Executive president Carlos Calleja celebrated the designation: "It fills us with joy to announce Juan Lucas's appointment as general manager; we know he is the right leader."
The executive identified the main challenge as generating value for collaborators, suppliers, and shareholders, working closely with store and mall operations. He highlighted the brand reconversion strategy for Éxito and Carulla, with 17 stores revamped in 2025 showing outstanding sales growth.
Experts like economist Jhon Torres emphasize balancing physical retail (86% of business) with digital growth (11.1% in 2025), and predictable real estate against volatile retail. Juan Pablo Vieira, CEO of JP Tactical Trading, stressed defending profitability amid rising costs and political uncertainty.
