Being in the C-suite is a high-pressure job with long hours, board responsibilities, and intense scrutiny. But what is it like to be a top executive when you’re off the clock?
Fortune’s series, The Good Life, shows how up-and-coming leaders spend their time and money outside of work.
Today we meet the German-based CEO of Just Spices, Verena Zander.
Before helming the Kraft Heinz’s majority-owned £38 million ($48 million) seasoning company, Zander started her career at the global FMCG firm Henkel in 2006. Unlike aspirational new hires today—Gen Z job hops every two years and three months, on average— Zander stayed at the first company that hired her for over a decade. She climbed its ranks from sales manager to head of market development in Middle East & Africa (and for that role, live in Dubai). In 2018, Zander joined Amazon, where, over the course of six years she was promoted four times—eventually to lead its private brands portfolio in Europe.
Then came the opportunity to lead Just Spices. The German start-up was founded by three university students in 2012. While #cleaneating was trending on Instagram, Ole Strohschnieder, Florian Falk and Béla Seebach came up with the idea for easy-to-use spice blends like Egg Topping, Sandwich Seasoning and Pasta Allrounder with natural ingredients and no additives. They grew the DTC business from their flat with just €10,000 into a multimillion-pound success that was spreading its wings across Europe—that’s when Kraft Heinz came in and snapped up 85% of Just Spices in 2021. It’s the $37.6 billion food company’s most recent acquisition.
2012
The year Just Spices was founded.
Now, Zander is helping to grow the brand further as its new CEO. Since she was appointed in 2023, Just Spices has taken the U.S. by storm. Meanwhile, in the U.K. alone, (where it launched in 2022) it’s now available to purchase from over 830 Tesco stores, as well as other major retailers including Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado. Globally, you can now pick up one of Just Spices popular blends in over 20,000 stores.
And the brand’s expanding presence isn’t limited to shop’s shelves, with over 2 million followers across social media it has become one of the most followed spice brands online. Watch this space.
The finances
Fortune: What’s been the best investment you’ve ever bought?
My house last September. It is really comforting to come home to our own house where our little daughter can play in the garden.
And the worst?
A peloton bike. I get it that other people love it, but I actually hate bike riding, so it was clear that also a peloton would not really motivate me in the morning. Luckily I almost resold it at the same price as I bought it.
If you have children, what does your childcare arrangements look like?
We have a wonderful daughter who is almost turning 3 years old. My husband and I are trying to cover as much as possible ourselves next to our both full time jobs. She goes 5 days a week to nursery and usually I drop her off before work and then either my husband, me, or our parents pick her up in the afternoon. Without our parents we would be lost for sure. Sometimes a babysitter helps out but only when we are both stuck in meeting or traveling.
What are your living arrangements like: Swanky apartment in the city or suburban sprawling?
I am still trying to get used to suburban life. We came from Dubai to Munich and now to the wonderful city of Meerbusch in Germany, which is indeed very rural. Sometimes I really miss the coffeeshop or Poke bowl place next door. But instead we get a lot of space, nice neighbours with kids of the same age and calmness, which is also great after many years of city life.
How do you commute to work?
By car.
What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Have a boring saving plan next to all the adventures you do.
What’s the one subscription you can’t live without?
Prime and Netflix for sure! So great to unwind from so many things into different worlds.
Have a boring saving plan next to all the adventures you do.
Where’s your go-to wristwatch from?
Garmin Forerunner, this combines my health and activity tracking with the ability to leave my phone somewhere. If it was urgent, people would call me which I’d see on the watch, everything else can also be dealt with later.
The necessities
How do you get your daily coffee fix?
If there is time, a coffee in the morning from my husband’s ECM barista machine, if in a rush Nespresso Vertuo with Oatmilk. When I come across a Starbucks once in a while, I would always opt for a toffee nut latte.
What about eating on the go?
We love food but we are too small to have our own canteen; therefore, we usually eat out or some do meal prep. I really do not have time for any meal prep and rather enjoy the few steps to the salad place or sushi counter close to the office. Unfortunately, I hardly get away with anything below $14 per lunch.
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Where do you buy groceries?
A mixture of Aldi, Rewe (A German grocery chain), online from Amazon…private brands, of course.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home?
Due to our new suburban life we definitely cook more at home. But we still eat out approximately once a week. Most of the time with our daughter and every 4 weeks on a date night alone.
The treats
How do you unwind from the top job?
A run, online barre classes, dinner or a BBQ with friends and seeing my daughter at her beloved pony riding at my niece’s stables.
What’s the best bonus treat you’ve bought yourself?
Definitely guilty of buying several Jimmy Choo shoes in Dubai. Since the pandemic there have been far too few occasions to wear them but they bring me joy every time I have the chance.
How do you record your notes in a meeting?
You would be surprised: I have tried many online tools and AI versions but I use an old-fashioned (pink) notebook most of the time. For my to-do list I use an app called todoist, but I find it more appreciative to my conversation partners to be truly present instead of behind a laptop—because, let’s be honest, how often does a distracting message come up? Also my brain remembers things much better when physically writing instead of typing.
Take us on holiday with you, what’s next on your vacation list?
Thailand. I love the food, value for money in traveling and nature. [I’m definitely going back to my old home, Dubai, from time to time. It still feels like home to me.]
Here at The Good Life you don’t have to imagine what life at the top looks like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for how the most successful live life.
Fortune wants to hear from European leaders on what their “Good Life” looks like. Get in touch: orianna.royle@fortune.com
