April 27, 1925 – May 6, 2021
Miami, Florida – Mr. Augusto Ledesma, 96, passed away peacefully at his home on May 6th, 2021.
Born to Augusto Ledesma Araoz and Estrella Socorro Alfonso and raised in Mariel, Pinar del Rio, Cuba, Ledesma attended public schools in his native Cuba, always excelling academically. At the young age of 16, after the sudden passing of his father, he stepped into the role of breadwinner and head of household for his mother and younger brother, Richard. He began working, while attending night school, initiating what became an 80 year long career. He later attended the University of Havana and University of Oriente in Cuba and graduated with a degree in Public Accounting and Business Administration – all the while continuing to support his small family.
His career then embarks at that early age, from his first job at a sugar, stocks and bonds brokerage firm, to Public Accounting with the firm Haskins and Sells where he specialized in the audit of sugar mills throughout the island, developing in him an ample knowledge of the entire Cuban geography, economy, and socio-characteristics. He later took on a role managing and expanding the largest coffee industry in Cuba, Café Pilón, before he held his last position prior to exile as a Sales and General Manager of la Molinera Oriental in Santiago de Cuba, the second largest flour mill in Cuba, partially owned by the Bacardi family. In October 1960, after the nationalization of the Molinera by the Castro regime, he left Cuba as an exile, thinking he would soon return to his beloved home.
Upon his arrival in the United States, he quickly joined Deloitte Haskins and Sells, CPA, and was offered a position as auditor in Puerto Rico where his expertise in sugar mill auditing proved to be invaluable. He returned to Miami in 1961, as a partner to Carlos Portela & Dr. Garcia Carbonell, to establish Ancel Products, a processing canned fruit operation, still known today for its famous guava paste which continues to be a key ingredient to many Cuban deserts and pastries. During his search for a distributor partner for his Ancel products, Ledesma came upon a life changing moment – when he met the owner of a then small organization named Goya in Brooklyn, NY, founded and headed by Don Prudencio Unanue. Don Prudencio very quickly recognized Ledesma’s talents and hard working nature, and agreed to distribute the Ancel brand. The successful partnership flourished and in 1970, the partnership expanded when Ledesma was asked by Don Prudencio to build a new food processing plant in the Dominican Republic, together with his longtime partner and friend, Carlos Portela. And so - Goya of Dominican Republic was born. In 1975, Ledesma was then offered the position as General Manager for Goya of Puerto Rico. In 1982, he was promoted to Vice President of Goya Puerto Rico where under his leadership, Goya expanded the sales force and the industrial complex in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
In 1983, he takes on another challenge and move - to join Goya Foods of Florida in Miami, as Vice President and General Manager. Under his leadership during the first 5 years in this role, sales grew exponentially earning him a very unique opportunity. He was promoted to President of Goya Foods of Florida, an honor previously only held by members of the Unanue family. In 1995, he retired only to come back 2 years later, at 72 years old, to build and direct a new state of the art, food processing plant in the Dominican Republic.
His wealth of experience, innate business acumen, and strategic vision helped shape what quickly became a record-breaking sales organization, distribution powerhouse and highly-efficient operation that poured revenue into the Goya enterprise and allowed continued growth of the beloved Goya brand both locally within the Dominican Republic market place, and internationally throughout the US. During his leadership, the organization continued to serve the Hispanic consumer beloved products such as Goya Mojo, Cascos de Guayaba various nectars and jugos only to name a small few. He led the expansion of revolutionary packaging changes, branding enhancements, supply chain improvements, amongst many other accomplishments. All of which was accomplished between the ripe ages of 70 – 95. This role, which he treasured and appreciated as his post-retirement hobby, kept him busy only until 2 months before his passing. A testament to his commitment and strength, Ledesma traveled bi-weekly to Santo Domingo until the pandemic to ensure the continued success of the operation.
Loved by all who worked with him either alongside, under or above, Ledesma was truly an exceptional mentor, educator, creator, marketer, visionary who led with humility, grace, prowess and purpose.
In additional to his exceptional career track record, Ledesma also served as a beloved and important figure in the various business communities where he resided. In Cuba, he was a member of the Cuban Associations of Public Accountants, Member and President of the Civic Institution “20-30 International.” In Miami, he served as Vice President of Interamerican Association of Businessmen, Director and Vice President of the Latin Chamber of Commerce (Camacol) for decades until the present. He served as the keynote speaker in many conferences around the world, as a brilliant, engaging and knowledgeable speaker – where he never even used notes while on the podium. He also served as a guest speaker and expert in many radio and television programs in South Florida.
As a public speaker, he shined as The Great Communicator that he was. One of the more formidable examples of this was when he was asked to participate in a forum along with the Unanue family at The Smithsonian Museum - celebrating Hispanic Heritage. During his address, he improvised a statement which left the audience in awe when describing the Hispanic market in the United States. Ledesma stated “we Hispanics are united by the language, but divided by our beans”, a catchphrase that perfectly describe the essence of the varied Hispanic population based on country of origin and consumer preferences, and the notion that the different tastes within each ethic group should be celebrated and made available to these induvial who left their homes behind. This notion is still challenging to many Fortune 500 organizations who have been unable to successfully penetrate the Hispanic market.
Ledesma was a recipient of many awards from various organization as Industrial Man, Business Man, Community Activist, Sales Organizations, Charity Organization, and many more. Ledesma’s qualities and talents are too many to list and are well known in the community. He mentored and influenced hundreds. He positively marked the lives of thousands. Admired by all that met him through his long, prolific and productive life, he lived his life with honesty, integrity, education, elegance, work ethic, brilliance, curiosity, expertise, knowledge, charm, dedication, resilience, drive, vision, love and humanity. He had an infectious smile and sense of humor, and an ease about him that made anyone around him comfortable and accepted.
One of the last renaissance men in the business world, a true gentleman and a legend in Miami, Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic, he will be truly missed but his legacy will never diminish.
Mr. Augusto Ledesma is survived by his wife, Rosamaria, his 5 children, Jacqueline, Luis, Richard, Teresa and Maria and his 6 grandchildren, Cecilia, Emmeline, Carlos, Nikolas, Chelsea and Zachary.
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