“The next generation will do better than I did.” With these words, the longtime President and founder of the Oberalp Group, Heiner Oberrauch, addressed the company’s more than 1,200 employees last week to announce the generational handover to his daughter, Ruth Oberrauch.

More than 40 years ago, Heiner Oberrauch founded the company in Bolzano, northern Italy, with two part-time employees. “At the time, there was strong demand for high-quality sports equipment from abroad, which I was able to import into Italy,” he recalls.

From these beginnings, the company grew into a management-led family business that today unites a portfolio of 18 sports brands under one roof. Seven mountain sports brands, including Salewa, Dynafit, Pomoca, Evolv, and LaMunt, are owned by the company. In addition, the Oberalp Group acts as a brand developer and distribution partner for eleven exclusive sports brands, including the American brands Under Armour and Diadem, the Austrian brand Fischer, the French brand Bollé, and the Scandinavian brand 2117 of Sweden in Italy and other European markets.

Ruth Oberrauch has chosen “Building Bridges” as the motto of her presidency. “I feel comfortable in the role of a bridge-builder because I believe it will help position the company on a strong and sustainable path for the future,” she said in her speech to the international staff. “Partnerships are a key factor for future success — both within the company and externally. No one wins alone anymore,” she added, outlining her vision for the group’s future.

Heiner Oberrauch will remain a member of the Executive Board of the Oberalp Group and will devote more time in the future to other family businesses, including activities in the fashion retail and agricultural sectors.

Ruth Oberrauch, meanwhile, will step down from her role as Brand Manager of LaMunt in order to focus on her new responsibilities. She founded the brand in 2022, addressing a gap in the outdoor market: as a community-driven brand, LaMunt is aimed at confident women and develops apparel designed by women for a wide range of mountain sports activities.

“The experience of building a brand from the ground up allowed me to gain deep insight into all business processes,” says the new Oberalp President, reflecting on the past fifteen years during which she held management responsibilities across various company departments. “I am now excited to take on greater responsibility for the entire Oberalp House of Brands,” says Ruth Oberrauch.

A further step in the generational transition will follow in autumn: Christoph Engl, CEO of the Oberalp Group since 2018, will hand over his role to the current CSO, Stefan Rainer, on 1 October and will serve as Senior Advisor to the company from the beginning of 2027.
Further details on the organizational restructuring and the Oberalp Group’s future strategy will be announced at a press conference on 21 September.