New leader at Ikea: Gaditan Juvencio Maeztu, the first individual of non-Swedish descent to guide the company's future.
Gaditano Juvencio Maeztu has been appointed as the new CEO and president of Ingka Group, the primary distributor of IKEA, effective from November 5, 2025. Maeztu, a Spaniard, is the first non-Swedish executive to hold this position.
Maeztu's career with IKEA spans over two decades, beginning in 2001 when he joined as a store manager in Spain. Over the years, he has held various leadership roles, including managing stores in Madrid and London, serving as CEO of IKEA India for six years, and most recently, serving as Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer since 2018.
Jesper Brodin, the outgoing CEO, has led the company through significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and supply chain crises. Brodin will remain with the company until late February 2026 to ensure a smooth transition, after which he will move into an advisory role with the IKEA Foundation.
Ingka Group, with 90% of the sales of the multinational IKEA, aims to grow in countries it is already present, such as the United States, China, and India. To achieve this, the group plans to acquire new companies to advance its digital and environmental transformation objectives.
Maeztu, who started his career in the early 2000s as a store director in Spain, has a background in Economics from his hometown university. He later obtained an MBA and a Corporate Director degree from Harvard. His experience was significantly impacted by a meeting with a woman selling plastic bags in a store, which led him to become a proponent of low-price policies.
Under Maeztu's leadership, Ingka Group plans to focus on strengthening its presence in city centers. He mentioned plans for more accessible stores and smaller sales points in an interview with ABC. The group also aims to have a store "within ten minutes" of every home in Spain.
Ingka Group's annual turnover is 41.8 billion euros, and it is present in more than 30 countries worldwide. The group's latest acquisitions include Made4net, a software for its supply chain, and TaskRabbit, a platform for assembling furniture.
After his tenure with Ingka Group, Brodin will contribute as a senior advisor to the IKEA Foundation. This transition marks an exciting new chapter for Ingka Group, as Maeztu takes the helm to steer the company towards continued growth and success.
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