For FC Bayern’s new Chief Marketing Officer, Rouven Kasper, the move from Stuttgart was anything but a cool career move. As the 43-year-old explained in an interview with the Stuttgarter Zeitung, his departure from VfB was extremely emotional – and not without tears.
Kasper looked back on moving days: „I have to admit: the past few weeks after I announced my departure from VfB were already very emotional. Last week was really intense. I cleared out my office on Monday and said goodbye to the entire staff on Tuesday – that’s when Alexander Wehrle, our CEO, really got me.“ The new Bayern boss described how moved he was by the farewell situation and the words of his former boss.
The 43-year-old went on to explain: „I am an emotional person, which is where I get my daily energy from. And unfortunately, Alex knows that very well. I had asked him to let it go before this joint breakfast with the employees – but he pressed the appropriate buttons again in his beautiful and appreciative speech. I also received a personal song. I couldn’t hold back the tears.“ The fact that this moment was so intense surprised him himself.
New Bayern boss Kasper: „It really hurts“
Despite all his ties to VfB, Kasper is looking to the future. „It does hurt to leave VfB and all the great people here. However, I am already looking forward to the new challenge,“ he said. From 1 January, Kasper will officially take over his position on the board of FC Bayern – and for him, the move means entering a whole new dimension of professional soccer. He described VfB as „strong and healthy“ and praised the club’s substance, but at the same time made it clear that the record champions operate on a different level. FC Bayern is „another world“.
Born in Baden-Württemberg, Kasper knows exactly what he is talking about. Between 2016 and 2021, he already worked at Säbener Straße, where he was responsible for the club’s Asia-Pacific activities. Now he is returning – with significantly greater responsibility: „I now have the opportunity to be one of three board members at one of the biggest soccer clubs in the world. This is an enormous challenge – one that I don’t want to avoid and one that I am simply very keen on,“ he emphasized.