Luis Banchero Rossi (1955-1972), the best entrepreneur in Peru’s fishmeal industry: market governance, social capital, and embeddedness

Abstract

In the 20th century, Peru was one of the major fishmeal producers worldwide. Luis Banchero Rossi (1929-1972) was the main driving force behind this economic boom. This article discusses how, given a set of historical conditions favoring such a setting, Banchero’s business performance surpassed that of other Peruvian and foreign producers in the industry, and enabled this development. This research uses complementary methodologies; i.e., case study work and financial databases. The authors find that Banchero’s share in Peru’s total exports reached 15.3 % in 1968, far above the next largest Peruvian exporter. In this regard, Banchero operated his organization following a set of criteria, called market governance by Williamson, plus several advantages, including negotiation abilities, social capital formation, human capital management, and tacit knowledge development, building on Peru’s specific sociological conditions. These conclusions help understanding how an entrepreneur of humble origins like Banchero worked around a commodity such as fishmeal to become a successful business leader worldwide.