// Inter Ikea Holding CEO Torbjörn Lööf to step down and be succeeded by Jon Abrahamsson Ring
// Ring currently leads the group’s franchising division, but at one point he was the PA to Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad
// Inter Ikea owns Ikea’s intellectual property & supply chain and is separate from Inkga Holdings, which owns the stores
The company that controls Ikea’s intellectual property and supply chain has appointed Jon Abrahamsson Ring as its new chief executive.
Ring, who currently leads Inter Ikea Holding’s franchising division, will replace Torbjörn Lööf who is to stepping down.
As part of a transitional period, Ring will become Inter Ikea Holding’s deputy chief executive from March 1 before being appointed as chief executive on September 1.
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Having started his career as a trainee at the Ikea Örebro store in Sweden in 1998, Ring then moved to Ikea Canada where he worked for four years.
This was followed by four years working as the assistant to Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad and a subsequent appointment as deputy retail manager for Ikea China.
In 2008, Ring left Ikea to work for nine years as chief executive of Filippa K followed by chief executive of Plantagen.
He then re-joined the Swedish furniture giant in 2017 to work with Inter Ikea Systems, the division of Inter Ikea Holding that operates as the Ikea franchiser and owns the brand’s intellectual property.
Meanwhile, Lööf joined Ikea in 1989 and was appointed as chief executive of Inter Ikea Holding in 2013.
Since then, he has launched a new strategy to make the furniture retailer “even more affordable, accessible and sustainable” and led a major business transformation which has included the acquisition and integration of all Ikea range, supply and industry activities and the restructuring of the Ikea franchise system.
In addition, Ikea has expanded to more than 15 new markets during his leadership and will soon be entering South America.
Inter Ikea also owns Ikea’s supply chain and popular catalogue, and it’s based in The Netherlands.
The company is separate from Inkga Holdings, which owns Ikea’s stores and is also based in The Netherlands.
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