Katre Kõvask appointed Managing Director of A. Le Coq

Effective 25 January 2027, Katre Kõvask will become Managing Director of A. Le Coq, Estonia’s largest beverage producer, and Executive Vice President, Baltics cluster at Olvi Group. She brings extensive experience in the food and beverage industry and in leading major companies.

“We are very pleased to welcome Katre to Olvi Group. Her extensive industry experience and strong commercial expertise will be a valuable addition as we accelerate the execution of our multilocal strategy through new market clusters, strengthen the commercial focus in Group-level decision-making and continue to drive profitable growth,” says Patrik Lundell, CEO of Olvi Group.

Kõvask has extensive and diverse experience in the food industry and in leading major companies, as well as in-depth knowledge of the food and retail sectors. She has successfully led companies through crises and challenging economic conditions and has a strong understanding of the sector and its growth opportunities, including the role of product innovation, marketing and exports in driving success. Her previous experience in an international group and as the CEO of a listed company provides a strong foundation for her roles as Managing Director of A. Le Coq and Executive Vice President, Baltics cluster at Olvi Group.

According to Katre Kõvask, this was the kind of opportunity that probably comes along only once in a lifetime.

“A. Le Coq has always been one of the flagships of Estonia’s food industry in my eyes. Ever since Ösel Foods, together with Aura, was sold to A. Le Coq around 25 years ago, I have followed the company’s journey with great interest. A. Le Coq has grown and developed tremendously since then, and it has been exciting to watch that journey from the sidelines. I am especially pleased to see how well the Aura brand has been looked after,” says Kõvask, who introduced the Aura brand to the Estonian market while serving as Marketing Director at Ösel Foods.

In her Baltic-wide role, Kõvask sees an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the Group’s companies and create new opportunities for growth.

“Olvi Group has strong beverage companies, well-known brands and capable teams in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. I believe that closer cooperation between the Baltic companies will help us achieve our ambitions and goals faster. One of the major opportunities I see is the development of non-alcoholic beverages across the Group. Competition in the beverage market is intense, and staying at the top requires ambition and a strong understanding of both the market and the consumer,” Kõvask adds.

Olvi Group’s Baltics cluster includes A. Le Coq and Värska Originaal in Estonia, Cēsu Alus, Valmiermuižas Alus and Piebalgas Alus in Latvia, and Volfas Engelman and the Uniqa water plant in Lithuania.

Katre Kõvask has more than 20 years of experience in the retail and food industries. She has led both international and Estonian companies, including Premia Foods, Pharma Holding, which operates the Südameapteek pharmacy chain, Tere AS and Farmi Piimatööstus. She has also worked at Tallink Grupp, where she was responsible for international retail and the onboard food and beverage business. For the past four and a half years, Kõvask has focused on building Estonian oat drink company YOOK Production AS and developing its brand. In 2024, she received the Industrialist of the Year award.

A. Le Coq is currently led on an interim basis by Tarmo Noop, who will continue in the role until Kõvask takes over as Managing Director on 25 January 2027.

CV

• 2022–2026 – YOOK Production AS, CEO
• 2019–2022 – Tallink Grupp, Head of Food & Beverage and International Retail
• 2017–2019 – Tere AS and Farmi Piimatööstuse AS, Chairman of the Management Board
• 2015–2017 – Pharma Holding / Südameapteek, Chairman of the Management Board
• 2006–2015 – Premia Foods, Chairman of the Management Board and Marketing Director
• 2004–2006 – Nordic Foods, Marketing Director and Member of the Management Board
• 2000–2004 – Ösel Foods, Marketing Director and Member of the Management Board
• 1993–2000 – Intermaag / Age Group, Account Manager

Katre Kõvask holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and Foreign Trade from the University of Tartu. She was named Industrialist of the Year 2024.