• Tumblr
  • Medium
  • Instagram

IKEA - THE EFFECT

It's a thing 'ya know.

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • about ikeate
    • privacy policies
  • IKEA DIY
  • IKEA NEWS
  • INSPIRATIONS
  • FURNITURE REVIEWS
You are here: Home / Blog / Interview with Ikea World President MIKAEL OHLSSON

July 12, 2019

Interview with Ikea World President MIKAEL OHLSSON

This 52-year-old executive is the real president of the ‘Independent Republic of Ikea’. He is in charge of more than 123,000 employees and ‘governs’ over 284 stores worldwide. Eager to bring transparency to an organization shrouded in a certain halo of secrecy, he gives us an interview, the first with a Spanish media outlet.

Interview with Ikea World President MIKAEL OHLSSONThe following paragraphs are organized in such a way that the reader will have to order and assemble them himself if he wants to read this interview. Just kidding… But that’s the philosophy of Ikea; that the customer puts in the workforce. The reward: a designer piece of furniture at a shockingly cheap price. The formula works: 284 stores in 26 countries prove it. And at the head of the Swedish multinational is Mikael Ohlsson, 52, of course, a Swede, like all the hardcore management. Married, three children. Ohlsson, who has been at Ikea all his life, is a peculiar executive in an atypical company.

Ikea is not listed on the stock exchange and an aura of secrecy surrounds it. But Ohlsson has been committed to transparency since he took the reins in 2009. His first decision as CEO surprised everyone: to show the accounts, something that had not been done since the company was founded in 1943. He had something to boast about: 2.5 billion euros in annual profits at the height of the global crisis. And in the last year profits have increased by another eight percent. There were also more glassy aspects. Its predecessor had to react to criticism about low wages in the factories of some suppliers located in India, Vietnam, and Bangladesh. Ohlsson is not having an easy time either.

A Swedish television investigation has uncovered the complex business fabric that allegedly enabled Ikea to save between 1.7 and 2.2 billion euros in taxes over the past 20 years.

Her résumé is that of Cinderella. An industrial design student who pays his way as a salesman in the carpet department and who, over the course of 31 years, goes through all the posts until he becomes executive president. He even met his wife at Ikea. He is in charge of 123,000 employees; he calls them “co-workers. He is in love with Spain and has a house in Sitges (Barcelona). He currently lives in the Netherlands, where the headquarters are located.

Physically, he gives himself an air of Bill Gates. The meeting takes place at the Ikea in Ensanche de Vallecas (Madrid), in one of the halls exposed to the public. Ohlsson is allergic to offices. He mixes with customers and employees. He asks everyone. He speaks with the conviction of an apostle and, above all, listens. The interview – the first one he gives to a Spanish media – begins with the changing roles. He wants to know about me.

Mikael Ohlsson. Have you ever come to Ikea?

XL. Weekly. Yes, with my wife.

M.O. And what was your impression? How can we improve?

XL. Well, we went to get a bookcase, but it wouldn’t fit in the trunk, so we bought a rug for the dog.

M.O. Wow.

XL. We came back with a van and took the bookstore.

M.O. Well, it went well in the end, didn’t it?

XL. Yeah, but I don’t know what we saved in the end, between the gas and the hours we put in.

M.O. The whole thing is a deal with the customer. He takes care of the transport and the assembly and we promise to give him the lowest possible price.

XL. The fact that the customer has to sweat is part of the deal…

M.O. The whole philosophy is designed to save costs. Ikea has about ten thousand articles and we renew about two thousand each season. We do a lot of home interviews, also in Spain. We ask people where they use their computer, what TV they have, what’s missing from their bathroom… And we also ask them how much they can spend. The design department works with all this information.

XL. So, first, they do a sociological study. Have you detected any trends in these times of recession?

M.O. Yes, that more and more people are living under the same roof. Homes are becoming multi-generational again. Our answer is to manufacture a sofa bed with large drawers. It’s not something you have unless you live in Manhattan, but it’s what people are putting in their living rooms.

XL. What a fix!

M.O. Other times it’s not so obvious. For example, the television used to be encased in a piece of furniture. Then came the plasma ones, which were very expensive at first and couldn’t fit anywhere. Our research pointed out that, when the price dropped, it would become a mass consumer item, and we designed a simple table to place it on. Our job is to anticipate your needs.

XL. Nice view…

M.O. Ikea has been like that since its inception. It was born as a mail-order company and was founded in Smaland, one of the poorest regions of S

Article by Nick dG / Blog, Facts Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

search ikeate posts

trending on ikeate

  • How to Decorate Small Spaces with IKEA

    At IKEA, they are carrying out a campaign where we are given a lot of advice and tips on decorating small spaces. These tips are designed for all those who want to take … Continue Reading

    How to Decorate Small Spaces with IKEA
  • Review on IKEA’S APPLAD Kitchen Cabinets

    One of the most interesting things about Ikea is that we can find all kinds of furniture and adapt it to all kinds of needs, here, for example, we have a Modified APPLAD … Continue Reading

    Review on IKEA’S APPLAD Kitchen Cabinets
  • Review on the IKEA Mobile App Catalog

    IKEA presents new catalogs every season, but it also offers an annual catalog with all the trends and novelties that will be announced during that year. It would be … Continue Reading

    Review on the IKEA Mobile App Catalog
  • IKEA Stores Around the World

    IKEA's expansion throughout the world is remarkable, with hundreds of stores spread across the globe. The total number of IKEA centers ranges from the Asian continent to … Continue Reading

    IKEA Stores Around the World
  • Interview with Ikea World President MIKAEL OHLSSON

    This 52-year-old executive is the real president of the 'Independent Republic of Ikea'. He is in charge of more than 123,000 employees and 'governs' over 284 stores … Continue Reading

    Interview with Ikea World President MIKAEL OHLSSON

Recent Posts

  • How Your IKEA-Furnished Bedroom Would Look on MARS
  • Summer 2020 Outdoor Furniture Maintenance Guide
  • 5 Reasons to Hire Professionals to Assemble Your Furniture
  • IKEA Ideas for Summer 2020
  • IKEA for Businesses

Hi, i’m Nick of ikeate

I’m an Internet entrepreneur and my work is related to Web projects and social platforms on the Net. The Internet is my daily place of work and the best thing is that I love it. I’ve been between bits since I was 13 years old and I’ve always wanted to focus my professional life on working and living between computers. Read more

Copyright © 2021 · www.ikeate.com · All Rights reserved