September 7, 2018—Sondre Gravir, CEO of Schibsted Marketplaces, has decided to leave the company after 11 years to take on a role as CEO of SATS Group. Gravir will depart in early October, and Schibsted CEO Rolv Erik Ryssdal will step in as interim CEO of Schibsted Marketplaces until a permanent solution is in place.
Gravir first worked with Schibsted as a consultant in 2002, and joined the company full time in 2007. He has served across the Schibsted Group as CEO of Bergens Tidende, Aftenposten, FINN and Schibsted Marketplaces, leaving each business in a stronger position than he found it.
“Sondre has been an outstanding leader in the years he has worked for Schibsted, and we will greatly miss his skills and competence. During the last few years we have worked closely together as colleagues and developed a friendship. I will miss him as a person and his positive personality, and I am sorry to see him leave us. I am, however, reassured by the fact that we have many strong leaders with a diverse experience both in the top management team of Schibsted Marketplaces and throughout the division,” says Rolv Erik Ryssdal, CEO Schibsted Media Group.
“Of course there’s a never a perfect time for changes like these, but Sondre is leaving a healthy business with fantastic momentum and a solid strategy for future growth in revenues and cash flow. During his tenure, Schibsted Marketplaces has been established as a strong division within Schibsted. In Q2 Marketplaces saw 16% revenue growth, and EBITDA was up by 33%. With our strong positions, dedicated teams and good development pace, I have no doubt we’ll continue to grow and thrive.”
Gravir has accepted a new role as the CEO of SATS Group, the leading Nordic fitness group with 240 fitness centers, 660,000 members and 8,000 employees. The company is pursuing an aggressive growth strategy, and Gravir will be in charge of leading the company into the next phase of building the leading European fitness group, including an IPO. He will also stay connected to Schibsted by continuing to serve on the board of FINN.
“This was a very difficult decision to make,” says Gravir. “Schibsted is a fantastic company—and it’s a very different, better and stronger Schibsted now than when I joined 11 years ago. I am so proud of the teams here and everything we’ve accomplished. We have great people and very strong growth momentum in our marketplaces across Europe and LatAm. We are truly delivering on our mission of creating perfect matches on the world’s most trusted marketplaces.
“I will miss having all my Schibsted colleagues and the wonderful Schibsted culture. At the same time I’m also very excited to take on my new role as CEO of SATS group. It’s a great company with a mission I strongly relate to—making people healthier and happier. I have been a member myself for many years, and together with the great team in SATS we will create the leading European fitness group.”
Contact Persons
Nathalie Kåvin, Director of Communications, Schibsted Media Group
Mobile: 47-934-01-363
Email: nathalie.kavin@schibsted.com
Cassandra Lord, Director Communications, Schibsted Marketplaces
Mobile: 44-7809-214347
Email: cassandra.lord@schibsted.com