Viaplay names acquisitions chief Christian Albeck to new co-CEO role in Sweden

Christian Albeck (Source: Viaplay)

Embattled Nordic streamer Viaplay has appointed acquisitions chief Christian Albeck to a new co-CEO role in Sweden, with Enrique Patrickson set to depart later this year.

Albeck will hold the role alongside fellow co-CEO Johan Johansson, who will also become CFO for Viaplay when he joins later this summer.

Johansson was most recently CFO and deputy CEO of growth and funding platform Gilion (formerly Ark Kapital), having previously worked as CEO for telecoms operator Three in Sweden.

He previously spent a decade working at Viaplay forerunner Modern Times Group (MTG), holding roles including CFO and COO of MTG’s Swedish operations.

Albeck, meanwhile, has been EVP of content acquisition since July 2023 following an overhaul of the company’s management team after it fell into financial trouble. He was previously SVP of content for the Nordics.

Albeck retains his acquisitions remit but will now also be co-CEO across Sweden on a permanent basis, having served as interim CEO of the Swedish operations since January 2024.

Patrickson, who has been EVP, group CFO and head of strategy & M&A since August 2022, will remain for a transition period, with his next move not yet known.

Jørgen Madsen Lindemann, Viaplay president & CEO, said: “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.”