Press Release
Venlo, 13 May 2025
Viking Europe regains its course under the leadership of Christa Furter
In an interview with KBM, Christa Furter, the MD of Viking details the strategy to bring the iconic brand back to the top.
Since taking the helm after RAJA Group’s acquisition of Viking, Christa Furter has led a transformation focused on customer-centricity and profitability. “We want to be the leading multichannel office solutions provider for businesses of all sizes,” she says in an interview with Kantoor Business Magazine, published on 9 May 2025.
“We have everything we need to make Viking shine again.” – Christa Furter
The original article was published in Dutch. Here is an English translation.
With the acquisition of Viking in 2021, the RAJA Group – Europe’s leading distributor of packaging, office supplies, and industrial equipment – instantly became a dominant player in the European office supplies market. Since then, Christa Furter has been responsible for transforming Viking into a profitable, customer-centric multichannel company. In an in-depth conversation with editor-in-chief Joost Heessels, she shares her vision on change, innovation, and growth, and explains how she is bringing the company step by step back to the top of the market.
Just under four years ago, the European RAJA Group became a major player overnight in the field of office supplies and related products. In the summer of 2021, it acquired Viking’s operations in seven European countries – the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium – from the Aurelius investment group. At the time, Viking had around 1,500 employees and generated an estimated €500 million in revenue.
This wasn’t RAJA’s first acquisition in the office supplies space. In 2019, the European packaging distribution leader took its first steps into the office market by acquiring parts of Staples Europe’s business, including JPG, Mondoffice, and Kalamazoo – French, Italian, and Spanish specialists in office supplies and furniture.
Over the past six years, RAJA has grown from virtually nothing into Europe’s largest online reseller of office supplies and equipment, with an extensive network of 1.5 million customers. The packaging and distribution branch, which started more than 70 years ago, is also active across all of Europe. The entire RAJA Group, headquartered near Paris, employs 5,000 people and generates annual revenues of approximately €1.7 billion.
“I found a team full of people passionate about the company. Even after all the changes they had experienced in previous years. That sparkle – I want to bring it back. We have everything we need to make Viking shine again.”
Aiming for dominance in the office sector
The acquisition strategy stems from RAJA Group CEO Danièle Marcovici, who has been at the helm of the family business for an incredible 43 years. She joined in 1962, working for the company her mother and a friend had founded in 1954. The Viking acquisition was a dream deal for her. A fan of Irwin Helford, the strategist behind Viking’s earlier success, Marcovici said at the time:
“This acquisition represents an excellent strategic opportunity to strengthen our market position in Europe, especially in the seven countries where we already have RAJA subsidiaries. The transaction will further expand the Group’s presence and give new momentum to our ambitions in the office supplies market. This acquisition fits perfectly with our strategic vision of being a global partner for European companies – from startups to multinationals – and will further strengthen our cooperation with globally recognized brands.”
RAJA Group had already been pursuing targeted diversification. In 2017, it acquired the Udo Bär Group, a specialist in industrial equipment. Previously, it had added Morplan, a UK company specializing in retail fixtures. More recently, RAJA Group expanded again by acquiring RETIF, a French distributor of equipment and supplies for stores, with a network of 88 locations across seven European countries, including the Netherlands. This strengthens the Group’s position in the retail market and its physical presence in Europe.
Multichannel marketing background
Back to Christa Furter, who was asked by Marcovici to lead Viking’s European operations after the acquisition. Not by chance—they had known each other since 2007. And from 2019 to 2020, Furter had already worked for RAJA Group company Udo Bär, where she was Managing Director from 2018 to 2020. “She saw that I could guide a transformation process well. In the end, I love people, and I love achieving results with people.”
Before that, while at OWiba Group, Furter had been a strong competitor to Viking in the Swiss market—something RAJA had taken notice of.
Christa began her career as a product manager at Damart, then became marketing manager at Yves Rocher and later managing director of La Redoute in Austria. After that, she entered the office sector, spending 13 years at iba AG, a Viking competitor. Since 2011 she served as CEO and from 2014 as CEO of the parent OWiba Group (Office World AG / iba AG).
It wasn’t just her management skills and office market knowledge that made her suitable for Viking in Marcovici’s eyes. “In both B2C and B2B, I’ve always worked at multichannel companies. Even back in 1999 at La Redoute, we were active in e-commerce alongside stores and catalogs.”
She was also an early adopter of customer databases. “Even at Damart, we bought customer files and focused heavily on data. At Yves Rocher too, I learned a lot about customer data, potentials, and market analyses.”
A fresh approach
Since Furter became Managing Director of Viking Europe, a fresh wind has been blowing through the company. She shares her ambitions and vision:
“Since the acquisition, we’ve had a clear goal: to transform Viking into a profitable, leading multichannel company for office products and solutions. For businesses of all sizes – small, medium, and large – both nationally and internationally.”
Another key focus has been strengthening local relevance in each market Viking operates in. “In every region, we want to respond to the specific needs in office supplies and services. And we aim to rebuild and expand our reputation as a strong, reliable player.”
“Our CEO has always been a big admirer of Viking. She knew Irwin Helford personally – one of the great names in the company’s history,” says Furter. “I myself also learned a lot from Viking in its glory days, especially around what we call ‘fanatical customer support.’ Irwin’s approach, his passion for customer focus and innovation, was hugely inspiring. I want to bring back that shine. We have everything in place to make Viking shine again.”
Not long ago, Viking operated in 21 countries – now it’s seven. “We’ve brought back responsibility, motivation, and efficiency. A new structure with a largely new management layer focused on the customer: what drives the customer, why do they buy here – or not? How much attention do they need, and what kind?”
Customer focus also meant bringing customer service back to local markets in 2023. It had previously been outsourced to South Africa.
Digital Factory
Then there was the chaos of 26 different IT systems. In just a few years, Christa and her team reduced that to a streamlined structure based on Oracle, through so-called ‘waves’. The goal: to become a fully digital company. “We invested a lot in that, based on RAJA Group’s Digital Factory model,” she explains.
RAJA Group began serious steps toward digital transformation in 2017. Under the Digital Factory model, it set up an agile organization focused on faster development and better customer experiences. This model replaced the traditional IT waterfall system with multidisciplinary teams (“Tribes” and “Squads”) working in short sprints on real customer value.
Thanks to this approach, RAJA better responds to changing markets and digital needs – from e-commerce tools to UX improvements and data-driven customer journeys. That has led to innovations in product placement. Christa doesn’t want to give too much away, but she’s very excited about the results.
When she arrived, Viking was loss-making. “We’ve improved financial performance every year. Our goal is to be an efficient, growing, and profitable company – and we’re getting very close.”
Printed catalog
When the printed catalog is brought up, she dives behind her desk and proudly pulls out a thick, brand-new Viking catalog. “We brought the big book back,” she says proudly. “I have over 35 years of experience in direct marketing and multichannel, and the catalog is still very relevant to us. It’s comprehensive, clear, fast, and allows us to explain our values, competencies, and offers. Research shows it works very well – and of course, we measure everything.”
There are also specialized catalogs, such as for facility management and monthly editions. “We try to personalize as much as possible. And use multichannel: social media, email, customer service, postmail, package inserts. Increasingly supported by AI.”
AI plays a growing role: “Whether it’s content creation, virtual showrooms, blog generation, or giving our sales teams smart insights – AI helps us deliver the right content to the right customer at the right time. That boosts our impact in an increasingly complex market.”
Market trends and developments
“Continued digitalization is clearly a challenge for some categories in our industry,” she observes. “Others may see Amazon as a threat; we’re big enough to handle it. Still others see home offices as a problem. I see it as an opportunity, thanks to our one-stop solution with home delivery.”
Looking at market share per country, she sees growth potential everywhere. “Especially in the Netherlands. We’re big and resilient enough to tip the scales in our favour. We had a strong year in the Netherlands last year – I want to thank our customers and teams for that!”
That confidence is rooted in the company’s ownership. “We have a strong, sustainable owner. That allows us to autonomously strengthen our propositions, product groups, and market position.”
New growth opportunities include categories like catering, food, and electronics – and especially smarter use of customer data. “Online, customers search more precisely. We can respond quickly because we track what search terms they use – including via Google. This allows us to adjust our offering in real time. It makes us very agile.”
The circular economy also offers room for innovation. “The second-life economy is becoming more important. We’re actively looking at how Viking can tap into that. It might not happen tomorrow, but it’s a real possibility.”
Sustainability and ESG goals are high on the agenda. The organization has all the relevant ISO certifications, holds Ecovadis Gold, offers a wide range of sustainable products, and has a CO₂ reduction strategy. Diversity is also a key part of sustainability. “Our CEO, Danièle Marcovici, founded a women’s rights foundation in 2006. Alongside business success, social engagement is central. The RAJA-Danièle Marcovici Foundation supports global projects on women’s rights, education, integration, and environmental protection. Through the internal RAJA People program, employees are actively involved in this mission of awareness and solidarity.”
Focus on the Netherlands: local and scalable
According to Viking’s leader, the Dutch market has a unique profile. “Compared to other countries, the Netherlands has a relatively large share of small businesses. These demand different things from their suppliers – for example, in automation and flexibility,” she explains. “A Dutch customer with an annual turnover of just a few thousand euros may still want an advanced EDI solution like a big German client.”
In this competitive market, Viking sees clear opportunities. “Several major players have exited in recent years, creating space. Local players like 123inkt are strong and aggressive, but we benefit from scale, expertise, and a flexible strategy,” says Furter. “We adapt our propositions per country – in pricing, product offering, and sales approach.”
In the Netherlands, Viking uses a hybrid sales model with account managers and a strong inside sales team. “We offer personal support starting at an annual spend of €3,000. This allows us to serve SMEs in a tailored way.”
Customer focus remains key. “Viking’s strength has always been its service. We invest in speed, accessibility, and smart digital solutions. At the same time, we make sure we understand local needs – from tea in the UK to office soup in the Netherlands – and translate them into our offerings.”
Christa Furter is a busy woman, and her next appointment is already approaching. One final question lingers – one she can’t leave unanswered:
“You asked if I run marathons. Yes, I’ve run four. Tough, but after finishing, I felt invincible. And what did I learn? That I will never give up.”
About Viking
As a leading expert in workplace solutions and products, Viking helps create great workspaces for everyone, everywhere for Small, Medium and Large Companies. Since 1960, we have been championing workplace transformation. Under the name Viking Direct in Europe, we first began assisting companies in their adjustment from paper to computer in 1990. Currently, Viking Europe operates in eight countries, employs over 1,500 people with the European headquarter located in Venlo. Following our acquisition by the RAJA Group in November 2021, Europe’s leading distributor of packaging, and a major player in the office supplies and furniture market, we are even better suited for everything the future holds.
Media contact
Viking Europe
Darina Koning-Admiraal, Sr Manager Communications
T.: +31 631 004 689
Email: darina.koningadmiraal@vikingoffice.eu
Website: www.vikingoffice.eu