CEO & Group Executive Team
The Group Executive Team comprises the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and other key executives.
The CEO is responsible for the ongoing management of the Company in accordance with the guidelines and instructions established by the Board.
The CEO and the Group Executive Team, supported by the various employee functions, are responsible for the adherence to the Group’s overall strategy, financial and business control, financing, capital structure, risk management and acquisitions. Among other tasks, this includes preparation of financial reports and communication with the stock market and other issues. The Company guidelines and policies issued include financial control, communication, brands, business ethics and personnel policies.
Executive Remuneration
The guiding principles for executive remuneration are found in the Remuneration Guidelines and are approved by the Annual General Meeting and attached to the Notice to AGM. The remuneration paid to the Group Executive Team, as well as information about the beneficial ownership of the Company shares and other financial instruments, are set out in the Annual Report every year.
Share based long-term incentive plans (LTIP)
Viaplay Group have two outstanding long-term incentive plans “LTIP 2021” and “LTIP 2022” for the Group Executive Team, other senior executives and key employees. The plans were approved by shareholders at the 2021 and 2022 Annual General Meetings. Full details of the plans can be found in the Notice to the 2021 AGM here and the 2022 AGM available here.
Danish, born 1966
Jørgen was appointed President and CEO of Viaplay Group on 5 June 2023. Jørgen is the former President and CEO of Modern Times Group (MTG), the Sweden based digital entertainment business, where he worked from 1994 to 2020. He also sat on the board of Zalando as a non-executive director from 2016 to 2021. Jørgen has strong experience of leading digital-first businesses and he is also chair of ASOS Plc.
Ownership: 10,959,800 VPLAY Class B shares.
Johan Johansson was appointed Group CFO for Viaplay Group and Co-CEO for Viaplay Group Sweden on 1 August 2024.
Before joining, Johan was CFO and Deputy CEO of Gilion (formerly Ark Kapital). Prior to that he server as CEO and a Board member of Daniel Wellington, after have been CEO of the telecom operator Three in Sweden. Johan began his career at Modern Times Group (MTG) where he spent 10 years in various roles, including CFO & COO MTG Sweden, and Vice President of Finance and Operations. He is a graduate of KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm University.
Ownership: 0 VPLAY Class B shares
Greek, British, born 1976
Vanda was appointed EVP, Viaplay Select & Content Distribution at Viaplay Group on 1 July 2023. She was previously EVP and Chief Commercial Officer, North America & Viaplay. Before that, she was SVP and Group Head of Acquisitions, Content Distribution & Partnerships. Vanda joined the company in 2003 and has held roles including VP Pay TV, VoD and New Media, and Senior Lawyer. She holds a degree in law from the University of Athens, an LLM in Entertainment Law from the University of Westminster and a degree in piano from the Hellenic Conservatory of Music and Arts, and has also studied theatre in Athens and London. Vanda joined the Athens Bar Association in 2001 and has been a solicitor at the Supreme Court of England and Wales since 2003.
Ownership: 1,226,276 VPLAY Class B shares.
Danish, born 1980
Christian was appointed EVP Content Acquisition and Co-CEO Swedish Operations at Viaplay Group on 1 July 2023. He was previously SVP Content Nordics at Viaplay. Prior to that, Christian has held various positions at Viaplay Group since joining the company in July 2002. Christian holds a Master of Science from Copenhagen Business School.
Ownership: 800,000 VPLAY Class B shares.
Kenneth was appointed Interim CEO Norwegian Operations at Viaplay Group on 1 July 2023. He was previously VP and Head of the Group’s radio operations in Norway. Kenneth has held various management positions in Viaplay Group for more than twenty years and has worked in the media industry for more than thirty years. He has a background as a journalist and editor working with news and current affairs in both public and commercial broadcasting. He joined the efforts to establish the first national commercial radio station in Norway, P4, in 1993. Kenneth has a media industry diploma from CBS Executive and serves on several industry boards including the National Association of Press and Media.
Ownership: 562,142 VPLAY Class B shares.
Mikael was appointed CEO of Viaplay Finland in January 2025, after serving as interim CEO from January 2024 and as SVP Business Development and Strategy between June 2023 and January 2024. He has been with Viaplay Group since 2019, when he became SVP and Head of Strategy and M&A.
He is also Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Allente. Earlier in his career, Mikael held senior roles at Bonnier AB and worked as a management consultant at The Boston Consulting Group.
He holds an MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management from KTH Royal Institute of Technology.
Ownership: 223,693
Danish, born 1967
Lars Bo was appointed EVP and CEO Danish and Icelantic operations at Viaplay Group on 1 August 2023. Lars Bo is the former CEO of media agency group Dentsu in the Nordic, Central and Eastern European markets from 2006-2019. He then joined Parken Sport & Entertainment and F.C. København as managing director from 2020-2021. Recently, Lars Bo has been General Manager Nordics for the tech company Snap Inc, where he joined April 2022. He is also executive chairman of the Danish sushi restaurant chain Letz Sushi. Lars Bo has a strong leadership background from media, tech, and communication.
Ownership: 2,567,872 VPLAY Class B shares.
Danish, born 1971
Peter was appointed EVP and Chief Sport & Business Development Officer at Viaplay Group on 14 June 2023. He is also responsible for running the Group’s operations in the Netherlands, Poland, Baltics, and the UK. He first joined the company in 2003 and was previously EVP and Chief Sports Officer and an advisor to Viaplay’s President and CEO on sports rights. Peter was appointed Head of Sports in 2013, having been responsible for the company’s sports rights acquisitions since 2006. In addition, Peter has been EVP and Head of Product Development & Incubation at Modern Times Group, CEO of DreamHack Sports Games and COO of Turtle Entertainment. Peter graduated from the Danish School of Media & Journalism and has worked as a reporter, commentator, host and Editor in Chief at Danmarks Radio.
Ownership: 5,192,664 VPLAY Class B shares.
Swedish, born 1980
Philip was appointed EVP and Chief Technology & Product Officer at Viaplay Group on 3 May 2022. He was previously SVP Product at Viaplay. He joined the company in August 2018 from Travelport, and previously spent five years in a range of leadership roles at SAS, including VP Product Development & Management. Philip holds a Bachelor's degree in Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is a graduate of the Stockholm School of Economics.
Ownership: 983,287 VPLAY Class B shares.