Viaplay Group appoints new executives of Swedish operations

The Nordic entertainment providar Viaplay Group announced the appointment of Johan Johansson as Executive Vice President, Group Chief Financial Officer and co-CEO of the Group’s Swedish operations. Johan will join Viaplay Group no later than 1 August 2024. Christian Albeck, Executive Vice President, Content Acquisition since July 2023, will now also take on the additional role of co-CEO of the Swedish operations on a permanent basis, having served as Interim CEO of the Swedish operations since January 2024. FInally, Enrique Patrickson, who has been EVP, Group CFO and Head of Strategy and M&A since August 2022, has decided to leave the Group and will remain in his position during a transition period, in order to ensure a smooth handover to his successor.

Johan Johansson has been CFO and Deputy CEO of the growth and funding platform Gilion (formerly Ark Kapital) for the past year, having previously been CEO and then a Board member of watch and jewellery retailer Daniel Wellington. Prior to this, Johan was CEO of the telecom operator Three in Sweden, after starting his career and spending a total of 10 years at Modern Times Group (MTG), which was Viaplay Group’s former parent company. Johan’s roles at MTG included CFO and Chief Operating Officer of MTG’s Swedish operations, and Vice President of Finance and Operations. Johan is a graduate of KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University.

On the other hand, Christian Albeck has worked at Viaplay Group and MTG for over 21 years, most recently as Executive Vice President, Content Acquisition and Interim CEO of the Swedish operations. Christian was previously Senior Vice President, Content for the Nordic operations, and has held a wide range of other leadership roles. Christian is a graduate of Copenhagen Business School.  

Additionally, Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, Viaplay Group President and CEO referred to the potential of the new hire: “Johan knows Viaplay Group and our products very well from his previous roles at MTG, and has gathered wide ranging and highly relevant experience from the leadership positions he has held since leaving MTG. I am looking forward to working with him again as we continue to retransform Viaplay Group into the geographically focused and profitably growing company that it should be. We have many operational improvements and innovations to make in Sweden and across the Group, and the combination of Christian and Johan’s skills and backgrounds will be vital in the entrepreneurial development of this exciting business in the rapidly evolving entertainment industry", stated.

FInally Simon Duffy, Interim Chair of the Viaplay Group Board of Directors expressed words of gratitude towards the outgoing executive: “I would like to thank Enrique for the instrumental role he played in the recapitalisation process, while at the same time successfully leading the finance, M&A and strategy teams as we have implemented a massive transformation programme and divested significant parts of our business. We wish him the very best for the future. The calibre of the new appointments reflects the strength and attractiveness of the Viaplay Group business, our products and our people. We have a lot to achieve now that the recapitalisation of the Group has been completed, and we are addressing key sales and cost drivers across the business in order to drive improved and sustainable return on investment levels", highlighted.