José Manuel Restrepo Fernández, former Caracol Radio president, dies in Cali

José Manuel Restrepo Fernández, one of Caracol Radio’s longtime senior executives, died in Cali on Sept. 2. He spent 32 years at the company and retired in 2021 after holding leadership roles across its commercial, administrative and management divisions.

Restrepo joined Caracol Radio in Bogotá in 1979 as commercial director. During the network’s early years, he contributed to the consolidation of 6AM alongside prominent Colombian journalists including Juan Gossaín, Hernán Peláez, Yamid Amat, Alfonso Castellanos and Javier Ayala.

He returned to the network in 1984 as development manager and later managed the chain in Cali. After the Santo Domingo Group’s arrival at Caracol Radio, he moved back to Bogotá in 1986 to become commercial vice president. He later served as general manager of Caracol Medellín in 1996.

Restrepo headed Caracol Radio’s presidency from 1999 to 2003. He also took part in the creation of Grupo Latino de Publicidad after the Prisa Group entered the radio network. In 2005, he returned to Caracol for a fourth time, managing its Medellín operation until his retirement.

Born in Medellín, Restrepo studied business administration at Eafit University. He also worked as marketing manager at Everfit-Indulana, led Carvajal’s international division and served on the board of Cromos.