Rapunzel hands over management to second generation
Company founder Joseph Wilhelm sees the next generation ready to reap the rewards of the pioneering work
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Rapunzel Naturkost GmbH & Co KG is reorganizing its management as of April 1, 2026. Leonhard Wilhelm and Seraphine Wilhelm will continue to run the family business in the proven tradition. Werner Berlage has been a member of the management team for over a year. Long-time employee Stefan Schmaus completes the management team as a new member. The new management structure stands for continuity in values and the courage to develop further. Margarethe Epple and Rosalie Dorn will hand over the management of the company at the end of March.
Company founder Joseph Wilhelm, who retired from management in 2024, is optimistic about the future: "As company founders and the first generation, we have sown the seeds and tilled the beds. It will be the task of the next generation to harvest these fruits and lead the company into the future with all its challenges".
The new management from April 1, 2026
- Leonhard Wilhelm (Managing Director - entrepreneurial family) is responsible for Purchasing, Production, Sales and Sustainable Supply Chain Management. He is also the Managing Director of ONE GmbH.
- Seraphine Wilhelm (Managing Director - Entrepreneurial Family) is responsible for Marketing, Product Management & Product Development, Quality Assurance and the Rapunzel World Visitor Center.
- Werner Berlage (Managing Director) will be responsible for Controlling, Finance, Human Resources, Sustainability and Organizational Development.
- Stefan Schmaus (Managing Director) is already in charge of Logistics, IT, IT Governance and Digitalization. As Managing Director, he is also responsible for building, environmental and energy management. Schmaus started at Rapunzel as an apprentice, has been with the company for 28 years and has extensive experience in large-scale projects. Schmaus is looking forward to his new role: "I am grateful and humbled. Now I can prove myself in the areas close to my heart - the trust placed in me by the family business means a lot to me."
Farewell to two previous managing directors
Margarethe Epple, who has played a key role in shaping the company for many years as Spokeswoman of the Management Board, will leave the operational management of Rapunzel at the end of March 2026. However, she will remain closely associated with the company: In October 2025, she was appointed Managing Director of the holding company JKW Vermögensverwaltungs-GmbH. Together with Rapunzel founder Joseph Wilhelm, she manages the business of the group of companies. "I am delighted that Margarethe Epple will be supporting me at the holding company in the future. Her many years of experience and expertise in the financial sector as well as her personal commitment to our company are extremely valuable," notes company founder and shareholder Joseph Wilhelm. Epple will remain Managing Director of the Turkish subsidiary Rapunzel Organic Ltd. Margarethe Epple is also a board member of the non-profit RAPUNZEL One World Organic Foundation, where she works on a voluntary basis. Ms. Epple has been with Rapunzel for 27 years, first as Head of Controlling and since 2012 as a member of the Management Board.
Rosalie Dorn has decided to hand over the management of the company at the end of March. She is part of the entrepreneurial family and took on operational responsibility at Rapunzel seven years ago - from starting as an assistant to the commercial manager to department head and finally to the management board. "I am very grateful for the daily commitment of our employees. Together we have achieved a lot and developed the company further - this shared commitment and fire will continue to carry Rapunzel in the future," said Rosalie Dorn at her farewell at the works meeting. Margarethe Epple added: "Rosalie has put her heart and soul into shaping the company and, in particular, has decisively advanced our business processes, digitalization and sustainability work." Rosalie Dorn remains closely connected to Rapunzel - among other things as a board member of the RAPUNZEL One World Organic Foundation.
Rapunzel would like to thank Margarethe Epple and Rosalie Dorn for their many years of valuable service and looks forward to working with them in their new roles.
The new management stands for continuity in the values that have guided Rapunzel since its foundation - sustainability, organic quality and social responsibility - combined with the courage to actively lead the company into the future.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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