Announcement of Leadership Transition at IKEA Japan Co., Ltd.: New President & Chief Sustainability Officer

Left: Petra Fähre, Right: Mati Eri

IKEA Japan Co., Ltd., the Japanese subsidiary of the Swedish home furnishing company IKEA—whose vision is "to create a better everyday life for the many people" (Head Office: Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture; President and Chief Sustainability Officer: Petra Fähre)—announces that Petra Fähre will step down as President and Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) effective August 31, 2026. Mati Eri will assume the role of President and CSO effective September 1, 2026. This will be the first time a Japanese national has held the position of President and CSO at IKEA Japan.

About Petra Fähre

Since her appointment as President and CSO of IKEA Japan Co., Ltd. in 2021, Petra Fähre has led the Japanese market for five years. During her tenure, positioning IKEA as a "partner in home living," she advanced the goal of making IKEA "more accessible, more affordable, and more sustainable" by driving omnichannel strategy across Japan. In terms of store expansion, she oversaw the openings of IKEA Maebashi, IKEA Kyoto, IKEA Yokohama Bay Quarter, IKEA Hiroshima, and IKEA Okayama, as well as the renovation of IKEA Shibuya. Additionally, she significantly expanded customer touchpoints by launching approximately 50 IKEA pop-up stores across Japan and increasing the number of product pickup points to around 800. She also focused on strengthening online channels, creating an environment where more customers could access IKEA anytime and anywhere, contributing to increased usage of the online store. By integrating physical and digital touchpoints, she worked to deliver seamless, personalized, and highly convenient experiences tailored to individual customers.

Furthermore, she actively promoted sustainability and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) as key pillars of the company’s strategy. She also served as Chair of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan (SCCJ), contributing to the promotion of economic and cultural exchange between Japan and Sweden, as well as initiatives toward building a sustainable society.

Petra Fähre will join Inter IKEA Systems B.V. as IKEA Expansion Manager effective September 1, 2026.

"I feel deeply honored to have had the opportunity to lead IKEA Japan over the past five years. Working alongside wonderful coworkers, I am truly proud of our efforts in strengthening the omnichannel strategy and supporting Japanese customers in achieving better home living. I sincerely thank all our customers, local communities, business partners, stakeholders, and coworkers who have supported us and shared this journey of progress and challenge. I am confident that under the leadership of incoming President Mati Eri, IKEA Japan will continue to stay close to its customers and grow further. From September, I will lead a unified expansion strategy across IKEA’s entire value chain, contributing from a global perspective."

About Mati Eri

Mati Eri began her IKEA career at IKEA Japan in 2006, serving as Country Sales Leader (Living Room Department), followed by Store Sales Manager at IKEA Misato. She then gained five years of experience as Deputy Marketing and Communication Manager, and was appointed Country Marketing Manager in 2015. From 2017, she served as Transformation and Sustainability Manager, overseeing business transformation and sustainability initiatives.

From 2020, she served as Business Development and Transformation Manager at IKEA Canada, leading market expansion strategies and contributing to increased market penetration.

In 2023, she was appointed Global Sustainability Transformation Manager at Ingka Group (the parent company of IKEA Japan; Head Office: Sweden), where she led sustainability transformation on a global scale.

"I am very pleased to return to IKEA Japan, where I began my IKEA career 20 years ago, and to work once again alongside coworkers. Japan is an important market where values and needs related to home living continue to diversify, and I believe opportunities to meet customer expectations will continue to grow. Building on the solid foundation established in Japan, I aim to deliver IKEA’s value to even more customers and drive further growth. Together with coworkers, local communities, business partners, and stakeholders, I will continue to support customers in delivering more comfortable everyday lives.

Leveraging my past experience, I will advance sustainability as a key driver of business growth, creating further value for customers and local communities. I will build upon the outstanding achievements of Petra Fähre and lead the next phase of growth for IKEA in Japan, working toward the realization of IKEA’s vision: 'to create a better everyday life for the many people.'"

Going forward, under the leadership of Mati Eri, IKEA Japan will achieve sustainable growth while expanding its business through diverse formats and methods, aiming to become an even more accessible presence for many people. The company will continue to provide affordable products and services that support comfortable and sustainable everyday life, remaining a trusted "partner in home living" that helps more people feel, "I love this home."

IKEA Japan Official Website: http://ikea.jp/

IKEA Japan Newsroom: http://www.ikea.com/jp/ja/about_ikea/newsroom