| Incoming IKEA Korea CEO Isabel Puig / Courtesy of IKEA Korea |
By Kim Jae-heun
Home furnishing retailer IKEA Korea appointed Isabel Puig as new chief executive officer and chief sustainability officer, a company official said Thursday. Puig will take office starting on Sept. 1.
"I am excited to take on this new role in Korea, one of the most dynamic markets demonstrating new possibilities of home furnishing,” said Puig. “I am committed to ensuring that inspiring IKEA home furnishing products and solutions, developed over eight decades, with our strong focus on people and the planet, will firmly take root in the homes and lives of many Koreans.”
Puig joined Ingka Group in 2014, which operates IKEA retail in 31 markets, as a global co-worker relations leader, following her career as a lawyer and legal advisor in Spain and the US.
She later served as an area manager and country people & culture manager at IKEA Belgium for three years, where she gained an extensive understanding of the home furnishing market and management experience.
Over the past year and a half, Puig has held the position of deputy retail manager at IKEA France, overseeing retail operations and all business areas. In this role, she has proven her ability to address key management issues, such as business steering and development, process and governance development and advancing cross-organizational collaboration.
Under her leadership, IKEA Korea will focus on offering home furnishing products and solutions that help to create better homes, based on its passion and deep knowledge of life at home.
The company plans to strengthen its omnichannel approach through digital transformation, providing a range of new service options for customers to conveniently meet IKEA whenever, wherever and however they want.
In addition, IKEA Korea will continue to drive its initiatives for people and the planet to become climate-positive by 2030, such as expanding the use of renewable energy and increasing electric vehicle deliveries.
As a people-centered organization, the company is committed to practicing equality, diversity and inclusion, embedded in IKEA's vision and values, fostering sustainable growth.
The current CEO of IKEA Korea, Fredrik Johansson, will transition into a new role as the global business operation manager at Ingka Group, delivering service experiences and operational excellence to Ingka Group Companies.