Verena Bahlsen was considered a candidate for a position in the management of the family-owned biscuit manufacturer. But her parents refused to let one of the four children join management. That is why Bahlsen now has a company boss for the first time who does not belong to the family of entrepreneurs.
–
Werner M. Bahlsen, who retired as CEO in 2018, will be followed by 53-year-old Brit Phil Rumbol on April 7, as the company announced in Hanover. Rumbol comes from the brand agency MullenLowe and, according to Bahlsen, has more than 30 years of experience with the confectionery manufacturer Cadbury, the breweries AB InBev and Heineken and the food group Kraft.
The appointment of the first non-family manager is an important moment for our company, said Werner M. Bahlsen according to the announcement. “We specifically looked for someone who shared our family’s vision and values.”
–
The co-heiress and daughter Verena Bahlsen, on the other hand, should participate as an active partner in the long-term orientation of the company and, above all, contribute to innovation, cultural change and brand development.
Construction sites at Bahlsen
The 27-year-old was criticized last year for controversial statements about the company’s Nazi past. In an interview with the “Handelsblatt”, however, her parents stood in front of her. Werner M. Bahlsen told the newspaper: “In principle, Verena said what we as a family knew about the Nazi era – and unfortunately that was little apart from my parents’ stories.”
–
There are numerous tasks waiting for Rumbol. Bahlsen employs 2,730 people worldwide. Revenue fell to 545 million euros in 2018. There has also been a change in management recently, in the export business the company is suffering from international conflicts – and the competition on the confectionery market is fierce. Read the complete story here: Bahlsen construction site.
–
As the SPIEGEL reported, the family was more deeply involved in the Nazi regime during the Nazi era than was previously known. So Verena Bahlsen’s grandfather and his brothers were in the NSDAP and promoted the SS. (Read the whole story here.) In the “Bild” newspaper, Verena Bahlsen, however, downplayed her ancestors’ Nazi past.
–
