GERMANY | Dr. Uwe Lebens, owner and long-standing Chief Operating Officer of Genuport Trade GmbH, has been awarded the prestigious ISM Award 2026.
The official presentation of the award took place during the new ISM Opening Night on the evening of the fair's first day.
The award honoured his outstanding lifetime achievements, his long-term contribution to the further development of the International Sweets & Biscuit Fair (ISM) and his services as a driving force of the sweets industry.
"Dr. Uwe Lebens has contributed outstanding services to the sweets industry. The ISM Award recognises his long-standing commitment, his contribution to the further development of the ISM and his impressive lifetime achievements at the family business Genuport," said Bastian Fassin, Chairman of the Association of the German Sweets Industry e.V. (BDSI).
Genuport Trade GmbH is one of the leading food importers and distributors in Germany. Since its founding in 1949, the company has evolved from a traditional family business into a dynamic organisation aligned globally.
With around 160 employees, Genuport distributes over 50 renowned national and international food brands and serves all key accounts in the German food retail trade, supported by new sales channels such as the sports channel and e-commerce.
Dr. Uwe Lebens joined the management of Genuport in 1989 and has shaped the family business long-term. Under his leadership, Genuport extended its international presence and strengthened its position as a leading importer and distributor in Germany.
In addition to his entrepreneurial activities, Dr. Lebens was actively involved in various industry associations for decades: as a founding member and Honorary Chairman of the SWEETS GLOBAL NETWORK e.V. (SG), in the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair Task Force (AISM) since 1989 and from 2001 to 2010 on the Board of the European Sales and Marketing Association (ESMA).
In December 2025, Dr. Lebens handed over the operative management to his son, Konstantin Lebens, thus completing a successful generation change. Genuport is a founding member of ISM and has had its own stand at the trade fair continuously since 1971.
"The ISM Award fills me with immense gratitude. Genuport and I have been part of the International Sweets & Biscuits Trade Fair since 1989. ISM is a place of encounter, innovation and dialogue," said Dr. Uwe Lebens, long-standing Chief Operating Officer and current Chief Representative of Genuport.
"As a member of the ISM Task Force, I was able to actively participate in the continual further development of the trade fair format. My special thanks go to our long-standing partners, dedicated companions and the leading personalities of the international sweets industry, who have made this joint path possible and enriched it."
ISM is organised by Koelnmesse and the International Sweets and Biscuits Fair Task Force, (AISM), is the industry sponsor of the event.
