IKEA (part of Ingka Group), the leading Swedish home furnishings retailer, today announced the appointment of Susanne Pulverer as its new and first woman Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), for its India business. Susanne, an experienced IKEA leader takes over from the outgoing India CEO Peter Betzel, who will move on to his next assignment within the IKEA Group. Prior to her role as IKEA India CEO and CSO, Susanne Pulverer held the position of Group Business Risk and Compliance Manager at the Ingka group.
Susanne 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, the Product Development Company, 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. Before joining IKEA India once again in 2017, Susanne was the Managing Director at IKEA Communications, the in-house agency of IKEA, for 5 years during which she led the organization through a major transformation to drive better business and people results. Susanne in her last role in India, 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.
Commenting on her appointment Susanne Pulverer, CEO & CSO IKEA India, said, “I am excited to be back in India, as we are moving closer towards our vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people. 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, expanding the omnichannel presence across cities, strengthening local sourcing and retail competence, and so much more. All of this combined with his outstanding leadership, values, passion for India and its people. 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”
During his tenure in India, Peter led the IKEA India team through the journey of transformation and with his deep passion for people and business, steered IKEA in India during extraordinary times posed due to the pandemic.
Outgoing CEO & CSO IKEA India, Peter Betzel said, “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. Also, the love of people of India towards IKEA has been humbling. I am extremely happy to leave the baton in the capable hands of Susanne. Her determined and strong leadership is a great inspiration for many of us. I am confident that she will lead our strong value-based India team to make the IKEA vision a reality for the many people. As I move on, I wish Susanne all the best as she starts her new journey with IKEA India.”
