Pernille Spiers-Lopez was recently President for IKEA North America and she has been a member of The Executive Management Team of the IKEA Group for 10 years. Pernille decided to leave IKEA July 1, 2011 after 2 1/2 years of commuting between Chicago and Europe and 21 years with the company.

 Pernille's Video: Speaking at Women's Leadership Exchange

   During her tenure as President of IKEA North America (2001-2009), Pernille lead the fastest expansion ever within IKEA. IKEA US grew from a small ‘niche’ retailer with 15 stores to a nationally recognized ‘major player’ with 38 stores. She brought with her a wealth of experience in home furnishings retail, human resources and leadership. This experience was grounded in and enhanced by her commitment to the IKEA culture and values that are at the heart of the company and its success.

   IKEA is the leading home furnishings company in the world and is recognized for offering well- designed, functional home furnishings products at low prices, for being a good company to work for and for a clear commitment to a sustainable social and environmental agenda.

   Most recently Pernille Spiers-Lopez has been the Global HR Manager for the IKEA Group and its 135,000 employees. With her extensive business experience, she has developed and implemented a new business focused HR Strategy empowering the organization, its leaders and co-workers to grow business and people together.

   It is through this humanistic way of doing business that Pernille has brought to IKEA perhaps her greatest asset: the ambition to foster an environment of growth, inclusion, balance and empowerment – while doing good business.

   A native of Denmark with a Masters in Journalism, Pernille Spiers-Lopez has lived in the United States for 28 years. Prior to joining IKEA, Pernille was an entrepreneur with a Scandinavian design business and she held several leadership positions for different retail companies in Florida and California.

   She has had numerous speaking engagements both in the US and internationally on topics focusing on global retailing, leadership, diversity and sustainability. Among some of the places she has spoken are: The Wharton School of Business at University of Pennsylvania, the MBA program at Columbia University in New York City, Women’s Leadership Exchange conference in Long Beach, California, International Women’s Forum in Miami, Boersen’s Executive Club in Copenhagen Denmark and for a newly formed group of female business leaders in Rome, Italy.

   Pernille serves on the boards of Save the Children US and on the Harvard Women’s Leadership Board of the John F Kennedy School of Government.

Speaking Topics:

1) Global Retailing 
2) Leadership
3) Diversity
4) Sustainability
5) Home Furnishings