Welcome to the 20+ club!

When Sabrina took a part-time job at her local IKEA store in France to pay off her student loan, little did she know that she’d still be here 30 years later. "I was never meant to stay, but I needed a job to pay back my study loan, so I thought I would take this job until I found one more related to my studies,” recalls Sabrina. But fate had a different plan, “I remember feeling at home immediately and deciding that I would stay as long as I felt that way.” The thing that struck her most was that, at a time when interviews were formal and based on qualifications, Sabrina’s initial interview was a more of a friendly chat, with a focus on her. This is still an important part of our interview process to this day.

Over the decades, Sabrina has enjoyed different leadership roles and assignments in many different areas, from business and bedrooms to cooking and eating. But although the roles may have changed, she still feels the same way as she did 29 years ago. Without a doubt, the reason for Sabrina’s long IKEA journey is our values. “When you recognise your own personal values in the people around you, you feel such a strong sense of belonging,” she explains.

As Sabrina’s journey continues, she shares wise words for anyone just starting out: “Be humble enough to understand how much you need others and confident enough to build on your strengths. Everything is possible if you are brave enough to try. And if it doesn’t turn out the way you planned, you will have learned a lot, so it's never a loss.”

Roger Nilsson’s career journey at IKEA is a serendipitous one. After training in data science, an old friend who worked as a production manager at IKEA, offered him a job on the production line. The rest, as they say, is history.

For more than 25 years, Roger has worked his way up to what is arguably one of the most innovative jobs at IKEA – Material Technology Engineer. Roger and his team spend years obsessing over the materials we use and finding sustainable alternatives to traditional materials. They also develop solutions in a broader scope to meet our CO₂ goals for 2030 and beyond. “We’re a bit outside, yet within the outer limitations of what is possible to do, and what we're doing right now. Some things haven’t been done before – this, of course, is a lot of fun,” explains Roger.

But creating solutions for the future takes time and patience. In the good old days as a manufacturing developer, he was able to influence production on the spot, in real-time, but today there are many more people and processes in place, admits Roger: “Thinking outside the box is fun, but sometimes the tricky part is getting others on board. I mean you can maybe spend 5-10 years thinking about things, but then when you start explaining it to others, they are not there yet. They need to be on the same journey – it's easy to lose your stakeholders if they're not involved in that process.”

After a quarter of a century at IKEA, Roger’s advice to anyone thinking of starting a career is basically the same thing he told himself all those years ago: “Just do it! Enjoy the ride and have fun doing it.'”

When Antonia Banuelos-Leon began at IKEA San Diego, she had a dream. As a first-generation American, born to Mexican parents, her dream was to open an IKEA store in Mexico.

Her journey began as a Communication Specialist at the IKEA San Diego store, where she began to specialise in marketing and communication for the store’s multicultural US customers. The store was owned by two friends of Ingvar Kamprad, who had worked with the IKEA founder on the opening of the first IKEA store in Switzerland. “It was almost like learning from Ingvar,” recalls Antonia.

From San Diego, she moved on to Philadelphia to lead multicultural efforts for the US and eventually became Regional Marketing Manager for the West Coast, until her big chance came. “IKEA was planning to open in Mexico, and as soon as they announced the appointment of a retail manager, I bombarded him,” recalls Antonia. “I said, ‘You literally have no choice. I'm going to be your marketing manager because I've dreamt of bringing this brand that I love so much to the country of my parents' heritage.'” After a meeting in a coffee shop in New York during the Christmas holidays, Antonia’s wish was granted – she was to become the Marketing Manager for IKEA Mexico, where she went on to open not one, but two stores!

Today, Antonia lives in Älmhult, where, as Amplification Manager, she builds awareness and love for IKEA, together with her team. With almost 22 years of experience from the world of IKEA across continents, if anyone can do it, Antonia can!

Erik is passionate about IKEA customers. From his early student days as a trainee manager in the Netherlands, and Country Sales Manager for IKEA Belgium to creating communication and sales plans for new products, he’s been engaging with our customers for more than three decades!

A graduate in international marketing and management, Erik had just completed a long internship at a car manufacturer and was looking for something different. When he heard about the opening of a new IKEA store in Delft, he applied immediately for a trainee management role and was hired on the spot! “I think they quickly decided that I was a good match, so they gave me my uniform at the end of the interview and told me to go to the canteen to meet my new manager,” he recalls. However, Erik was not quite prepared for the playful spirit of his new co-workers. “My new manager told me: ‘Go to Bambi’. When I asked where that was, she answered: ‘Next to ‘Sleeping Beauty.' They had named all the sales desks after fairytales, which was a bit bizarre, but I soon figured it out,” he laughs.

During his time as Store Manager, Erik was responsible for more than 600 IKEA co-workers. “It was literally like being the head of the village,” he laughs. Today, Erik lives and works in Älmhult, the heart of IKEA, where he and his team create sales plans and communications for new products.

After so many years in the same company, how does Erik stay motivated? “I love working with the amazing people at IKEA on range development,” he admits. He also reveals, “I’m also super proud when I meet our products in customer homes, or elsewhere – and sometimes even in unexpected places like the set of the sitcom ‘Friends’!”

If you’re seeking seasonal inspiration, Filippa is an oracle of home accessories knowledge. As Range Manager for IKEA’s home decoration range, she and her team decide everything from the colour of the cushions we’ll be plumping up on our sofas to the themes for our holiday tables.

When Filippa joined the home textiles department of the IKEA Gothenburg store, she knew she had found her home. Fresh out of fashion retail, she was immediately drawn to the colours and patterns of the store’s main department. “I think what drew me to IKEA was that it was playful, it had really nice designs at low prices, and the coordination felt unique – it was sort of a cool company to work for,” she recalls. Little did she know at that time that one day she would be responsible for every product in the home decoration range!

Creating new ranges each season takes time, so Filippa and her team work up to three years ahead developing future collections. “I know what’s coming next Christmas and even the Christmas after,” explains Filippa. However, she admits that textiles remain a favourite, and she loves collecting both old and new IKEA fabrics, “I have cushions and even a wardrobe filled only with fabrics.”

From shopkeeper and product developer to range manager, Filippa’s career journey has provided her with valuable insight into what makes a better everyday life at home for many people. After more than 30 years, it’s still one of the main reasons that she goes to work every morning. "I have a very strong belief that we can change people’s lives at home,” says Filippa.

With 35 years of experience under his belt, Tommy knows IKEA and its products inside and out. Fresh out of school after studying wood science, Tommy began as a purchasing technician for IKEA Romania but based in Vienna. Over the decades, always with a focus on product design and development, Tommy’s IKEA career has taken him on to Bucharest and Madrid, before returning home to Sweden.

As Product Design Engineer, Tommy is responsible for the technical aspects of product development for the top IKEA product area – home organisation and storage. Do you want to know how your BILLY bookcase was produced? Tommy’s your man. Even after more than three decades, Tommy never ceases to be amazed by the work that goes into every IKEA product. “IKEA is so much more than the stores; we design and engineer our products at a detailed level that I think people are not so aware of outside of IKEA,” he explains.

Over the years, Tommy has amassed plenty of great IKEA memories, but one that stands out is IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad’s annual “range walk”, where he would talk to co-workers, and see presentations of new IKEA products, along with plans for the development of each product range. “Ingvar’s range walk was always special. I was amazed by his knowledge about the range, and his ability to remember even the smallest details from the year before. If you had promised something, he would be sure to ask about it again the year after,” recalls Tommy. “I also enjoyed his handwritten letters to all of us; they were always personal and with a feeling of togetherness,” he adds. Ingvar may be gone, but for Tommy, the founder’s spirit and vision of IKEA remain the same, thanks to people like him.

When Rasika joined the IKEA customer service department in Älmhult 25 years ago, her face seemed familiar. That’s because not only was her grandmother one of the first 50 IKEA co-workers at the outset, but she had also appeared as a model in the 1999 IKEA catalogue. “It was my first experience with IKEA, and I spent many hours in the studio. For a 17-year-old girl, it was exciting, but I was also very nervous,” recalls Rasika.

From a face in the IKEA catalogue to more recently becoming the face of IKEA as Student Relations Coordinator (with many roles in between), Rasika is an expert on first impressions. As the first contact with students at the beginning of their career journeys, Rasika collaborates with schools and universities around Sweden to find the next generation of talent. But as Rasika can attest, hiring the right people isn’t just about finding the right skill set, but also the right mindset. “When I look back, many times I don’t recall so much of the actual assignment but rather the colleagues. They are often what make me come to work and are also my reason for staying,” she admits.