IKEA Australia driving gender equality milestone this International Women’s Day

Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, has reached gender balance across top leadership roles globally. 45% percent of Ingka Group country CEOs are now women, and 56% of the leaders across country retail management teams in 31 countries are female.

Ulrika Biesèrt, Global P&C Manager, Ingka Group says, “At Ingka Group, we believe that gender equality at home and at work live at the core of gender equality in society. As we head into International Women's Day, around the world, fair and equitable opportunities for women are, at best, stalling. We all must do more to achieve gender parity.”

These global gender balance results are reflected at IKEA Australia, with the Australian Country Management team 62.5% female, led by CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer Mirja Viinanen. 

IKEA Australia has achieved a 50:50 gender balance in Unit Managers across Australia, which includes managers of IKEA stores, distribution centers and the customer support center. Women make up half of overall manager roles, with the balance currently 49% female and 51% male for the 500+ IKEA managers across Australia. 

Mirja Viinanen, IKEA Australia CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer says, “Closing the gender gap is a key part of our mission to foster a diverse and inclusive IKEA Australia workforce. International Women’s Day is a time to stop and celebrate our achievements, but also to recognise there is still more work to do.

“We want to remove barriers for women returning to the workforce and create better pathways for women’s career progression into leadership positions, as well as reduce gender stereotypes by having more women in predominantly male roles and more men in predominantly female roles at IKEA.” 

Ingka Group’s strong results come from the company’s long-term approach to gender equality, which has been part of Ingka Group’s country business plans for over a decade. This means across Ingka Group there is a shared goal to achieve gender balance across all leadership positions, which is followed up annually. 

Additionally, there is a clear strategic approach around inclusive succession goals. 

Biesèrt says: “It’s important that we reflect the communities we serve at every leadership level. Not only is it the right thing to do, but the best thing for our co-workers, current and future customers, our business, and society.

”While Biesèrt is proud of the results, she says the company’s journey continues. “One key focus area where we now need to improve upon is removing the barriers for women from underrepresented groups to move into leadership positions,” she says.