Roger Talermo, the 54-year-old Finnish executive who has been running the group since 1996, has relinquished his role as president and chief executive of Amer Sports and will resign from the company as of June 21. Until then, he will continue to work for Amer in a special role, assigned by the board of directors, with details to be announced later.
Heikki Takala, a 43-year-old Finnish manager who has worked for Procter & Gamble for 17 years, will succeed him in the post from April 1. Until then, Pekka Paalanne, executive vice president of Amer, will take up the role on an interim basis.
Anssi Vanjoki, chairman of Amer, told Sporting Goods Intelligence Europe that Talermo’s departure was due to a matter of “trust between the board and the CEO,” but refused to elaborate. He added that Amer “needs some new energy.”
Takala is currently global commercial director of Procter & Gamble’s professional beauty hair care operations, which employ about 5,000 people around the world. Interestingly, he has had experience in integrating newly acquired companies.
Talermo worked in key management positions at Salomon and TaylorMade in France, the U.S. and Sweden before he became president and CEO of Atomic in 1995, overseeing its integration into the former Amer Group.
Trading in Amer’s shares rose substantially on Dec. 22, the day when the announcement of the change of management was made. The share price has since moved gradually up from €6.25, settling above the level of €7 since Dec. 29.
