Rapala/VMC Names New Top Execs

The Board of Directors of Rapala VMC Corporation has appointed Lars Ollberg as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Rapala VMC Corporation. He will start in Rapala VMC on May 1st, 2023. Lars Ollberg was until June 2022 Chief Operating Officer and Global Management Team member of Rapala VMC.


“We are very pleased to appoint Lars Ollberg as our new CEO. He truly possesses the strong leadership skills, profound understanding of our business and solid capabilities required to develop Rapala VMC further“, says Chairman of the Board Louis d’Alançon.

“I feel greatly honored and thrilled to come back to Rapala VMC, which businesses and ambitious team I know very well. I am grateful to get this opportunity to lead Rapala VMC”, says Lars Ollberg.

The Board of Directors of Rapala VMC Corporation has appointed Cyrille Viellard as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Rapala VMC Corporation. He will start as deputy CEO on May 1st, 2023. Cyrille Viellard is Executive Vice President and head of hook business. He has been member of the Global Management team since 2015.

The Board of Directors of Rapala VMC Corporation has also appointed Jean-Philippe Nicolle as Chief Financial Officer of Rapala VMC Corporation to succeed the current CFO, who will leave the Group on June 21, 2023. Jean-Philippe Nicolle is currently Executive Vice President, head of South-European distribution and has been member of the Global Management team since 2020. Nicolle has very strong experience in finance as he was during 1997-2007 the CFO of Normark France and VMC Pêche.

Executive Vice President and head of Russian distribution, Victor Skvortsov has resigned from Global Management Team with immediate effect.

About Rapala VMC Corporation

Rapala VMC group is the world’s leading fishing tackle company and the global market leader in fishing lures, treble hooks and fishing related knives and tools. Group has a strong global position also in other fishing categories and Rapala VMC’s distribution network is largest in the fishing industry. The main manufacturing facilities are in Finland, France, Estonia, and the UK. Rapala VMC group’s brand portfolio includes the leading brand in the industry, Rapala, and other global brands like VMC, Sufix, Storm, Blue Fox, Luhr Jensen, Williamson, Dynamite Baits, Mora Ice, StrikeMaster, Marttiini, Peltonen and 13 Fishing outside of the USA as well as Okuma in Europe. Group, with net sales of EUR 274 million in 2022, employs some 1 500 people in approximately 40 countries. Rapala VMC Corporation’s shares have been listed and traded on the Nasdaq Helsinki stock exchange since 1998.