Juan Sutil

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Class of 2023, Chile
Founder and Chairman of Empresas Sutil

Share the joy of Juan Sutil’s winning moment at Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Chile.

Juan Sutil is dedicated to transforming communities through agriculture.

Juan Sutil started his first business at his childhood front door, picking flowers and selling them to neighbors. He went on to trade grain commodities before founding agro-industrial group Empresas Sutil in 1982. Today, the company grows more than 3,000 acres of fruits and processes and exports nuts, berries, cherries, mushrooms and wine. Its mission: deliver quality food to the world while helping local Chilean farmers. 

Juan’s philosophy on working with the environment and communities is, "We are farmers. We owe the land and nature our produce and daily work, much as we owe the people that help us make this fruit reach our clients."

His career exemplifies the effort, perseverance and teamwork needed to build a more integrated and just Chile. Empresas Sutil is a certified B Corporation that employs 2,700 people, serves 17,000 farmers, and processes and exports fruits from 1,000 producers. He also personally serves as a bridge between the business and the indigenous Mapuche people by creating conditions for them to cultivate berries and thrive.

Juan’s impact extends beyond Empresas Sutil. He was elected president of a top Chilean business association for a two-year period, and his term was extended twice. Through this role, he became a trusted political voice and key consensus-builder. He also led the private-sector response to COVID-19, creating and managing Siempre, an impact fund deployed during 2020 to address key societal needs.