Biscuit company heiress Verena Bahlsen reports tears and panic attacks when she says goodbye

The name Bahlsen is an institution in the German baked goods industry. The family business has existed since 1889 and became famous, among other things, for the Leibniz biscuit. And since 2018, the group heiress Verena Bahlsen has also been working in the company. Now the 29-year-old leaves the title “Chief Mission Officer” bears the company.

While Alexander Kühnen, an external manager, will take over the top position on January 1, the daughter of corporate patriarch Werner Bahlsen, who was once said to have ambitions for the position himself, will no longer play an active role in the company. As a farewell, Verena Bahlsen has now published an emotional text on the career network. In it she says goodbye to her colleagues with warm words, but also speaks openly about psychological problems and panic attacks at work.

Panic attack in wheat field

Addressing her colleagues, Bahlsen writes: “I was often embarrassed when you saw me in moments of fear, being overwhelmed, or insecure.” She speaks of “crappy moments”which would also have deepened the relationship with colleagues. “I cried in many meetings”, writes Bahlsen. Once she was standing in a wheat field with the CEO and had a panic attack. “I was rude or impatient at times, interrupting people when I should have been listening, or cold and hard when I should have stayed soft.” She speaks of an inner struggle for authenticity in her role, but also of support from her colleagues. She is very grateful and has learned a lot from her colleagues, she writes in the text, which was written in English.

Verena Bahlsen became known in the media in 2019 when she caused criticism with thoughtless statements about the company’s Nazi past. Regarding the role of Nazi forced laborers at Bahlsen, she said at the time that it was all before her time, the forced laborers were treated well and the company was not guilty of anything. The statements were widely interpreted as trivializing. Verena Bahlsen then rowed back verbally, her father called the statements a mistake.

“Everything I’ve ever loved”

But Verena also looks back on her work at Bahlsen with positive feelings. Bahlsen writes that she has been involved in three major brand relaunches in two years. “We had some silly ideas together and some great ones.” Now, whenever she is in a supermarket, she goes to the biscuit aisle, knowing how much work has gone into each brand “and I feel pride and joy at how beautiful the result is”.

For her personally, saying goodbye to the family business is a huge thing. “This is all I’ve ever loved! My sense of identity is so closely intertwined with Bahlsen, with my heritage and with these brands. So I’m excited (and nervous) about who I’ll be next.”

Surf first, then see further

Bahlsen writes that she has no idea what she will do next. But she gives a few insights into her wishes and goals. She loves the power of brands and wants to learn more about them. So she decided to take the time to “learn about all the different ways people tell stories and inspire each other”. She wants to learn how to write really well, she wants to do an internship on a film set and do a bit of freelance work in brand strategy.

Anyone who has a job for her is welcome to get in touch, she writes with a wink. “But first, maybe give me a few weeks to surf, sit on the beach, and be scandalously unproductive.” The photo, Verena Bahlsen closes her contribution, was taken by her therapist, which seemed appropriate to her.