IKEA, the Swedish home furnishings retailer, has appointed Susanne Pulverer as its new and first woman chief executive officer (CEO) and chief sustainability officer (CSO), for its India business.
Ms. Pulverer took over from the outgoing India CEO Peter Betzel, who moved on to the next assignment within the IKEA Group. Prior to the new responsibility, Ms. Pulverer held the position of Group Business Risk and Compliance Manager at the Ingka Group, of which IKEA is part.
Ms. Pulverer joined IKEA in 1997 and has worked across different roles within IKEA. This is her third stint in India. She started her IKEA journey as Environmental Manager for the IKEA Group and moved on to IKEA of Sweden, where she held various roles in different business categories. She then moved to India in 2007 to head the purchasing function for IKEA South Asia during which she developed a strong connection and passion for India and its people.
She was also managing director at IKEA Communications, the in-house agency of IKEA, for 5 years during which she led the organisation through a major transformation to drive better business and people results. In her last role in India, she led market development for Delhi NCR, where she also drove the sustainability agenda and local community initiatives crucial to IKEA’s vision and mission to become a climate-positive business by 2030.
Ms. Pulverer said, “India is a prioritised market for Ingka Group. Peter and the team have done a truly commendable job of introducing IKEA in India as a purpose-led brand. We shall continue our journey to further expand and establish IKEA as a meaningful, loved, and trusted brand in the country keeping our long-term 2030 commitments in focus.”
Mr. Betzel said, “It has been an incredible experience being a part of the IKEA India journey. The love of the people of India towards IKEA has been humbling.”
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