Caobisco confectionery group confirm’s Tobias Bachmüller’s return as president

A major move has been confirmed by Caobisco European trade association for chocolate, biscuit, and confectionery industries, as it names Tobias Bachmüller, managing shareholder of Katjes, as its new president.
The senior industry figure takes up the post in place of Can Buharali, of Mondelez International (who spoke at our last event), who recently confirmed to our publication that he intended to step down from the role, after a year in the post. He is also set to leave his parent company.
Significantly, Caobisco’s new appointee was confirmed at a meeting this week in the Hague, Netherlands for its General Council and General Assembly meeting, discussing its policy direction.
The organisation, which some 14,000 largely SME businesses across Europe, is set to play its part once more in our World Confectionery Conference, taking place in Brussels on September 11 at the Marriott Hotel, Grand Place. (you can register for this autumn’s show through our dedicated website at, confectioneryconference.com
During the group’s meeting, members unanimously elected Mr. Tobias Bachmüller (Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG) as the new President of the Association.
As Caobisco noted, he brings a wealth of leadership and industry experience to his renewed mandate, having previously served in the post as president between 2012-2014, and Vice President during three terms (2010–2012, 2014–2016, 2024- 2025).
In addition, 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 Mr. 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.”
Furthermore, Caobisco extends its deepest gratitude to Mr. Can Buharali (Mondelēz International) for his dedicated service as President during 2024–2025. Mr. 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 Mr. Bachmüller