Caobisco, the association of the European chocolate, bakery and confectionery industry, met in Vienna for its annual General Assembly and General Council meeting. During this event, Caobisco members unanimously elected a new troika to lead the association for the next two years. Caobisco, based in Brussels in Belgium, welcomed Can Buharali (Mondelez International) as President and Aldo Cristiano (Ferrero) and Tobias Bachmüller (Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG) as the two Vice Presidents.

In his haunting speech after his election, Buharali said: "I am deeply honoured and grateful for the trust that the members of Caobisco have placed in me. I will work hard to promote the interests of our industry. I would like to thank Aldo Cristiano for his outstanding leadership and dedication as outgoing President. His contributions have been invaluable and I want to build on the strong foundation he has created. Together we will continue to pursue our common goals and drive the industry forward."

Mr Buharali is currently Senior Director for Global Public Affairs at Mondelez. Prior to his current role he was Regional Director Corporate and Government Affairs for the Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa (AMEA) Region out of Singapore. He has also held commercial roles at Mondelez, leading export business as International Sales Director for local brands. Before joining the corporate world, he worked in consultancy and foreign affairs as a career diplomat, serving in Brussels and Tehran. This newly formed leadership team is expected to bring valuable insights and strategic direction to Caobiscos.