The 29-year-old has previously had an active role in the family business. Now she is surprisingly retiring.
(Photo: Bahlsen)
Dusseldorf The top position at the pastry manufacturer Bahlsen was vacant for almost ten months. Alexander Kuehnen, who currently heads the Hamburg delicatessen manufacturer Carl Kuehne, will take over the office on January 1, as the family business from Hanover announced on Thursday.
At the same time, Verena Bahlsen, great-granddaughter of founder Hermann Bahlsen, surprisingly leaves the house. The 29-year-old had actively and self-confidently helped shape the realignment of the troubled traditional manufacturer in recent years. She remains a shareholder, but would like to “devote herself to new projects outside of Bahlsen” in the future.
In January, after almost two years, company boss Phil Rumbol separated. The Briton was the first non-family director of Bahlsen since 1889 and had worked closely with Verena Bahlsen. After his departure, the young woman was even promoted to the highest management body. She was given the title of Chief Mission Officer. Now it is said in Hanover that Verena Bahlsen has decided to end this active role at the end of the year.
The traditional Bahlsen brand has to assert itself against competitors such as Mondelez (Oreo) and Ferrero.
(Photo: Bahlsen)
“We as a family and the Board of Directors would like to thank Verena for helping our key assets shine with her deep understanding of the changes in global markets and her empathy for the brands,” said her father Werner Michael Bahlsen, who leads the board of directors.
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Verena Bahlsen was criticized in 2019 for statements about the company’s Nazi past and capitalism. After a shit storm, she apologized for her “imprudent” statements that Bahlsen had “treated his forced laborers well” in World War II. Bahlsen has the company’s controversial role in National Socialism reviewed by historian Manfred Grieger.
Kühnen should make Bahlsen fit for the future
“A company is not a playground for entrepreneurs’ children,” Werner Bahlsen, who managed the company until 2018, once told the Handelsblatt. The 73-year-old had made it clear that none of his four children should run the company operationally. The growing influence of his daughter Verena was all the more surprising.
The new boss can now concentrate on his challenging job without being bothered by family quarrels. The 51-year-old should make Bahlsen future-proof and profitable. That was also his job at cucumber specialist Carl Kühne. The sales and marketing expert previously worked for Unilever in Switzerland and abroad, where he managed the Swiss business.
Bahlsen’s new CEO has extensive experience in the consumer goods sector.
(Photo: Bahlsen)
Bahlsen has been undergoing a difficult restructuring for years. Even before Corona, the business of the German market leader for cakes and biscuits was stagnating at around 540 million euros. In 2019, Bahlsen sold parts of the less lucrative private label business. This is one of the reasons why the revenues in 2020 fell to 532 million euros according to the Federal Gazette. The operating result of the group was minus 4.8 million euros. 100 out of 2600 jobs were cut.
Now the raw material and energy costs have risen sharply. At the same time, inflation is dampening the mood to buy. Many consumers are switching from brands to cheaper private labels. In addition, chocolate companies such as Ferrero (Kindercards) and Mondelez (Oreo, Milka) are stirring up the biscuit market. “Such strong brands on the pastry shelf are a major threat to Bahlsen,” says an industry insider.
The new pack design, which Verena Bahlsen helped create, aims to attract younger customers. A bold step. According to the insider, Bahlsen is in the dilemma of retaining regular customers without losing new target groups to corporations or start-ups. Alexander Kühnen has to manage this balancing act.
More: The Reimann family lost assets in the crisis – and can still be relieved.