Margaret Uribe

Colombian dairy entrepreneur who built Latin America's largest family-owned dairy company

Margaret Uribe (1930-2021) was a Colombian business icon who transformed a small dairy into a multinational corporation. Starting with $1,000 inheritance in 1954, she founded Lacto-Milk, which later became Pasteurized Milk, now the largest family-owned dairy company in Latin America with operations in 12 countries. Her innovation of using glass bottles for milk delivery revolutionized dairy distribution in Colombia.

Uribe pioneered corporate social responsibility in Colombia, establishing the Colombian Dairy Foundation to support rural farmers and fund agricultural education. She created the Women in Business Network, mentoring over 5,000 female entrepreneurs. Her leadership style emphasized community reinvestment, donating 10% of profits to education and healthcare initiatives.

Her story is featured in Colombian Business Legends (Amazon Link), and her company's sustainability practices are studied at INCAE Business School (INCAE Website). Despite facing gender discrimination in male-dominated industries, she became the first woman to lead a Colombian Fortune 500 company. Her legacy includes the Margaret Uribe Entrepreneurship Award, given annually to innovative female leaders.