IKEA names its first women CEO for India Business- Susanne Pulverer

Swedish home furniture retailer IKEA announced Susanne Pulverer as the first woman CEO  for India Business. Susanne Pulverer has also been appointed as the CSO (Chief Sustainability Officer). Before this, she was the “Group Business Risk and Compliance manager” for the Ingka Group that controls IKEA.

Peter Betzel, former CEO will be moved to his next role within the IKEA group. “It has been an incredible experience being a part of the IKEA India journey. I have had the support of an excellent and devoted team, and I wish to thank them all for their relentless efforts during these unprecedented times,” said Betzel.

Since joining IKEA in 1997, this is Pulverer’s third stint in the country. She had joined IKEA as an environmental manager in Sweden and moved to India in 2007 to head the purchasing function for South Asia. Her last role in India involved market development for Delhi-NCR, where she also drove the sustainability agenda and local community initiatives.

Talking about being back in the sub-continent she says, “I am excited to be back in India, as we are moving closer towards our vision of creating a better everyday life for many people. India is a prioritised market for the Ingka group. Peter and the team have done a truly commendable job of introducing IKEA in India as a purpose-led brand”.

IKEA announced its plans to be accessible to 200 million people in India by 2025. It wants to reach a mark of 500 million customers by 2030.  The company launched its first small-format store in Mumbai in 2021. Currently, 20-25 per cent of the products in the IKEA stores are supplied by local vendors.

In India, IKEA will have to face competition from local players like Mukesh Ambani-backed Urban Ladder. Talking about the same, a statement by the company said, “Anyone entering the furniture space is good for the overall market. They come with experience and ambition which means that home furnishing will be higher on the agenda for customers and that creates an interest which will create a spillover effect on IKEA.”

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