Change of leadership at iba: Florian Gmeinwieser takes over as Director iba from Susann Seidemann

Strategic reinforcement by a seasoned industry expert

With Florian Gmeinwieser, GHM secures a proven B2B expert. A graduate in business administration, Florian offers more than 20 years of work experience in strategy development and consulting in the B2B environment of German and international companies. His extensive expertise in business development, digital marketing and digital strategies, as well as his understanding of the challenges facing the baking industry, make him the ideal candidate to head up iba. He has always been familiar with the matters the industry faces: originally trained as a precision mechanic and coming from a family of bakers, his ties to the craft sector and artisan bakery have always been close. Gmeinwieser gained his industry experience in various German communications agencies, including as Head of Mobile at Serviceplan, where he subsequently held the position of Head of Digital Business for several years and played a key role in developing the company's digital strategy, among other things.

Florian Gmeinwieser will continue to develop iba with his digital expertise, his qualifications in strategic brand management and his in-depth knowledge of the industry – working closely with the German Bakers' Confederation as the owner of iba, with the market and with the iba team.

Meeting industry challenges with innovation

With the transfer of leadership, the previous iba Director Susann Seidemann is taking on the new position of Chief Sales Officer (CSO) within GHM. She successfully managed the trade fair iba from April 2021 to August 2025 and contributed significantly to its further development. “I am looking forward to the new challenge at GHM. Now it's time to say thank you. Thank you to the entire baking industry, to all market participants, to all partners and to the German Bakers' Confederation for the wonderful cooperation,” said Seidemann. “With Florian Gmeinwieser, a proven strategy expert is taking over the leadership of iba. He has a deep understanding of the challenges facing the baking sector. I am handing over the further development of this unique trade fair for the baking industry into the best of hands."

Roland Ermer, President of the German Bakers' Confederation (Zentralverband des Deutschen Bäckerhandwerks e.V.), is delighted: "Susann Seidemann has contributed significantly to the success of iba in recent years. I have always been impressed by her vision, her organisational skills and her consistently good humour. The entire team at the German Bakers’ Confederation would like to thank her for her collaboration and at the same time we are looking forward to welcoming her successor, Florian Gmeinwieser. With him, GHM has gained an experienced strategist who knows how to bring national and international customers together. We look forward to working with him and to the next iba in 2027."

Florian Gmeinwieser’s vision is clear: "Combining artisan bakery with innovative technologies and sustainable solutions is a key trend for the future, and one that I want to continue to promote at iba. I am looking forward to working with the baking industry and the German Bakers' Confederation. iba is the stage for the entire national and international baking industry. My focus is on the continuous development of iba in order to better equip market participants for the future of baking."

Three questions for Florian Gmeinwieser

What strategic decisions are you planning in order to equip iba as a global trade fair for the challenges of the coming years?

Gmeinwieser: Major trends such as digitalisation, sustainability and the shortage of skilled workers affect both industry and artisan bakery – but new solutions often focus initially on large-scale bakers. We must ensure that iba remains the forum that connects both worlds: artisan bakers and industrial companies. It is crucial that we create spaces where technology providers, start-ups and practitioners can learn from each other. In this way, we ensure that innovations not only reach the big players but also provide impetus and concrete help for small and medium-sized craft businesses.

What appeals to you most about managing iba?

Gmeinwieser: Communication has always fascinated me – and that is precisely our core business as trade fair organisers: we create events where people come together, exchange ideas and initiate new things. iba is not just a trade fair, it is the stage for the entire national and international baking industry. Working with partners to further develop this platform, highlight trends and create spaces for dialogue on future topics is an incredibly exciting task.

Sweet or savoury: are you team croissant or team pretzel – and what baked treat is your secret tip for long days at the trade fair?

Gmeinwieser: Definitely both – depending on the time and my mood. But if there's one thing that saves me on a long day at the trade fair, it's a good butter pretzel.

About iba

iba – The world's leading trade fair for the baking and confectionery industry is held every three years in its usual rotation at Fairground Munich. The trade fair brings together all the products and technologies that are relevant to bakers and confectioners of all sizes, decision-makers from the bakery and confectionery industries and food retailers. The range of topics includes from raw materials, ingredients and frozen bakery products through production and packaging technology, process optimization and information technology to complete interior design of bakeries, pastry shops or cafés.

The next iba will take place from October 24 until 28 2027 in Munich and from then onwards, iba will again be held every three years in Munich.