What does Brexit have to do with Ferrero buying Thorntons? Plenty

On the face of it, Ferrero buying Thornton's might look odd. But it's a very cunning tactical move by the Italian confectionary giant, says Bengt Saelensminde.

150625-ferrero

Ferrero is a major player in the international confectionary market

This week, struggling chocolate group Thornton's was made an offer it couldn't refuse by Italian chocolatier Ferrero. It was music to shareholders' ears. This is a company struggling to make half the profits it did back in the 1980s when it was floated on the stock exchange. The company has unkindly been branded the Woolies of the chocolate world'.

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Bengt graduated from Reading University in 1994 and followed up with a master's degree in business economics.

 

He started stock market investing at the age of 13, and this eventually led to a job in the City of London in 1995. He started on a bond desk at Cantor Fitzgerald and ended up running a desk at stockbroker's Cazenove.

 

Bengt left the City in 2000 to start up his own import and beauty products business which he still runs today.