Werner M. Bahlsen

Mr. Werner M. Bahlsen, Chairman of the Management Board of Bahlsen GmbH & Co. KG, Hanover, spoke on the topic of "Sustainability in food production".

The family-owned company Bahlsen GmbH & Co. KG is the market leader in Germany with its two umbrella brands Bahlsen and Leibniz and one of Europe's leading suppliers of sweet cookies. The national brands Kornland (Austria), Krakuski (Poland) and Brandt (Germany) complete the diverse product range, which is produced at five European locations and exported to more than 80 countries. Lifestyle habits and consumer behavior are subject to constant change. Recognizing changes and identifying trends is one of the company's core competencies and the starting point for its innovative strength. Quality is the focus of all areas of the company. Bahlsen's quality philosophy is based on the company's own standards and its self-image as a brand manufacturer. The high quality standards begin with the selection of raw materials and continue through processing to packaging and delivery. At Bahlsen, however, quality does not only refer to the products, but also to the employees: only through their expertise and commitment can the customer be offered the desired product experience at a consistently high level.

Werner M. Bahlsen, born in Göttingen in 1949, is the sole owner of Bahlsen GmbH & Co KG. After training as a confectioner, the grandson of company founder Hermann Bahlsen studied business administration and economics in Zurich and Geneva. This was followed by periods of practical experience in the cookie industry in England and the USA before he joined the family business, Bahlsen International Holding AG in Switzerland, in 1975. In 1978, Werner M. Bahlsen became a member of the Bahlsen Group Management Board. Following the division of the company into the sweet cookie and snack divisions in 1999, Werner M. Bahlsen took over as Chairman of the Management Board of the sweet division. Since 2008, he has also been President of the Lower Saxony Business Associations and heads the Board of the Institute of Northern German Business.

Status: Beginning of 2012