Bent under the pressure, the young co-heir to the German biscuit and cake empire Bahlsen leaves the family business at just 29 years old. In an extensive text published on the LinkedIn social network, Verena Bahlsen confessed to suffering from panic attacks and tears during her professional activity. Her surprise departure from the “mission manager” role, responsible for leading the group’s sustainable transformation, was announced last week without further details.
Verena Bahlsen says that she often felt “embarrassed” when seen in her “scary moments”, emotional “overwhelm” and “insecurity” that occurred in the professional setting.
“Sit on a Beach”
The great-granddaughter of the Bahlsen founder owns 95% of the century-old company together with her three brothers. She had to apologize in 2019 after statements downplaying the suffering of forced laborers at the manufacturer during the Nazi era. Furthermore, less than five years ago, she aroused the ire of the German left by proclaiming her pride in being a “capitalist”, in “earning money and [s]buy yachts with [ses] dividends”.
Leaving the family business, Verena Bahlsen says she has “no idea” what she’s going to do next, but wants to “take some time” to think about her professional future. “Give me a few weeks first to go surfing, sit on a beach and be outrageously unproductive.”
Source: BFM TV
