Relais appointed a new CEO
Summary
- Christian Gebauer has been appointed as the new CEO of Relais, effective January 19, 2026, succeeding Arni Ekholm, who will retire on March 31, 2026.
- The appointment was anticipated following the announcement of Ekholm's retirement in June 2025, aligning with the company's upcoming strategy update.
- Gebauer's previous role at Ratos AB, which shares a similar business model with Relais, provides him with relevant experience in acquisitions and leading diversified organizations.
- His background is seen as supportive of his success in leading Relais Group, as he brings extensive experience in acquisitions and organizational leadership.
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Translation: Original published in Finnish on 10/21/2025 at 01:10 pm EEST
Christian Gebauer will start in the position on January 19, 2026, at the latest. The appointment was expected, as the current CEO, Arni Ekholm, will retire next spring. We believe the new CEO's profile and background support the prerequisites for success as Relais' CEO.
The appointment was expected, the background supports the prerequisites for success
The retirement of Relais' current CEO, Arni Ekholm, was announced already in June 2025, and we have been expecting the appointment of a new CEO before the company's strategy update planned for the end of the year. Thus, the appointment news itself was quite expected. Arni Ekholm will retire on March 31, 2026, in accordance with the terms of his CEO contract. He will continue to serve as senior advisor until retirement.
Gebauer most recently worked at Ratos AB, where he headed the Construction & Services business area. Ratos' value creation model is similar to Relais', meaning that the company's core operation is to acquire, own, and develop businesses while preserving the independence of its subsidiaries and a diversified organizational structure. Thus, by virtue of his history, Gebauer has experience in leading a similar organization. In addition, Gebauer has extensive experience in acquisitions through several previous positions. Based on this, we believe the new CEO is well-positioned to lead Relais Group successfully.
Relais Group is an importer and wholesaler for the automotive industry. The group focuses mainly on the development of automotive electronic equipment for trucks. Examples of products that the company supplies include lighting products, applications for warning lights, camera systems, and other spare parts for heavy vehicles. The largest operations are found in the Nordic and Baltic markets, with customers in the aftermarket industry.
Read more on company pageKey Estimate Figures24/09
| 2024 | 25e | 26e | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 322.6 | 382.2 | 440.8 |
| growth-% | 13.5 % | 18.5 % | 15.3 % |
| EBIT (adj.) | 36.1 | 38.9 | 45.6 |
| EBIT-% (adj.) | 11.2 % | 10.2 % | 10.3 % |
| EPS (adj.) | 1.21 | 1.27 | 1.49 |
| Dividend | 0.50 | 0.52 | 0.55 |
| Dividend % | 3.7 % | 3.1 % | 3.3 % |
| P/E (adj.) | 11.4 | 13.2 | 11.2 |
| EV/EBITDA | 7.5 | 8.4 | 7.2 |
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