Caobisco, the Association of the Chocolate, Biscuits & Confectionery Industries of Europe, convened in The Hague, Netherlands, for its annual General Council and General Assembly meeting. During this event, Caobisco members unanimously elected Tobias Bachmüller (Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG) as the new President of the association.  

Bachmüller, Managing Shareholder of Katjes, brings a wealth of leadership and industry experience to his renewed mandate. He previously served as Caobisco President from 2012 to 2014, and Vice President during three terms (2010 - 2012, 2014 - 2016, 2024 - 2025). He has also been a longstanding member of the Executive Board of BDSI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Süsswarenindustrie e. V.) since 2001.

“I am honoured to return as Caobisco President at a time when our industry stands at a critical juncture between innovation and regulation,” said Bachmüller. “We must collectively embrace sustainability while safeguarding the competitiveness of Europe’s chocolate, biscuit, and confectionery producers, many of which are SMEs. I look forward to working with the European institutions to ensure that policies deliver on their goals without burdening producers disproportionately,” he added. “Caobisco must remain a constructive partner in the EU dialogue – one that is both ambitious and pragmatic. I am deeply committed to reinforcing our position as an agri-food export champion and to promoting the cultural and economic importance of our sector.”

Caobisco extends its deepest gratitude to Can Buharali (Mondelez International) for his dedicated service as President during 2024 - 2025. Buharali played a crucial role in steering the Association. “Under Can’s guidance, Caobisco strengthened its voice on critical policy files and built bridges across stakeholders. His legacy includes enhancing the visibility of our sector in Brussels,” said Bachmüller.