The giant Viaplay Group announced a new operating model based on the Nordic countries and a change in its line of executive management. These announcements follow the Group’s near-term outlook for this year and the appointment of Jørgen Madsen Lindemann as Chairman and CEO.
With the aim of ‘improving’ efficiency and operational performance, sharpening the Group’s focus on developing market-relevant product offerings and accelerating the continuous review of the Group’s operations and return on investment, will be the axes of the new plan.
The company will rely on country management teams with full responsibility for the day-to-day operation and strategic development of the business, including full line of sight and responsibility for sales operations, costs, profitability, cash flows, content, marketing and people Corporate and central functions will be reviewed and adapted accordingly.
Meanwhile, Lindemann will be the interim CEO of the Swedish and Finnish operations while a permanent appointment is sought. For his part, Lars Bo Jeppesen has been appointed Executive Vice President and CEO of Danish and Icelandic operations and will join on August 1. While Kenneth Andresen has been appointed interim CEO of the Norwegian operation. Also, Peter Nørrelund, who recently rejoined the Group as Executive Vice President and Head of Sports and Business Development, will also take responsibility for the group’s operations in the Netherlands, Poland, the Baltics and the United Kingdom.
The other members of the executive leadership team who report to the CEO of the Group are: Enrique Patrickson (EVP, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Strategy and M&A); Philip Wågnert (Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Product Officer); My Perrone (EVP and General Counsel of the Group); Matthew Hooper (returning to his role as Executive Vice President and Director of Corporate Affairs); Vanda Rapti (Executive VP, Viaplay Select and Content Distribution); and Christian Albeck (EVP, Content Acquisition).
The new operating model and changes to the Group’s executive management team will come into effect from July 1, with each leader reviewing their organizations to ensure complete optimization and focus. The financial impact of the resulting changes will be announced as part of the update on or before July 20.
Lindemann commented: ‘This is the first of what will be a series of incremental changes to ensure that we are investing in the areas where we see the greatest potential, that we are precisely focused on the day-to-day business of creating locally relevant products and experiences, and that we are as close as possible to our customers. We are reviewing the competitiveness of all of our operations and will make changes as necessary to drive higher levels of performance and improve returns on our content and technology investments. The new team has the competence, experience and passion to drive the business forward. The new setup provides continuity and challenge, which are essential elements in how we will run the Group together. We have very dedicated and talented teams across the Group, and this new setup will allow for the effective blending of our creative and commercial priorities’.
