- Steve Howard has been appointed as the new Chief Sustainability Officer of IKEA Group. - Sustainability is a cornerstone of IKEA's strategic direction and helps drive innovation. - Howard will help lead IKEA in providing a great quality of life for present and future generations through more sustainable and affordable products and solutions.

1. http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press/PR_FILES/Steve_Howard141010.pdf<br /> Steve Howard has been appointed new Chief Sustainability Officer of the IKEA Group.<br />“Sustainability is a cornerstone in our strategic direction, highly prioritized and serves as a catalyst for further innovation and development within IKEA. To economize with resources and constantly renew and develop is an important part of IKEAs idea and heritage. Steve brings passion and impressive competence within the field of sustainability paired with strong leadership skills. We look forward to take new important steps the coming years”, says IKEA Group President and CEO Mikael Ohlsson. <br /> “If we are to provide a great quality of life for present and future generations we have to make sustainability attractive and affordable for the many people. I am delighted to join IKEA and help lead the company in this exciting and critically important challenge”, says Steve Howard.<br /> During the past 10 to 15 years, the IKEA Group has developed its Sustainability Programme, focusing on using less material, responsible forestry, water treatment, cotton grown in a more sustainable way and other projects to tackle climate change. In the forestry, cotton and climate change initiatives, the IKEA Group is working in partnership with the WWF. <br /> There are currently 280 IKEA Group stores in 26 countries<br />IKEA was established in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad at the age of 17, in Småland in<br />Sweden.<br /> IKEA is the world’s leading home furnishing retailer with a grand total of 301 IKEA stores<br />in 37 countries/territories. The IKEA Group itself owns 267 stores in 25 countries, which<br />are visited by 458 million people every year. IKEA UK has 18 stores and IKEA Ireland<br />has 1 store. The first IKEA store in the UK was opened in Warrington in 1987.<br /> The IKEA Group has 123,000 co-workers in 40 different countries over four continents.<br />96,300 in Europe, 16,450 in North America and 5,250 in Asia and Australia. There are<br />9,000 employees currently working at IKEA UK and Ireland organisation.<br /> IKEA has a range of 9,500 different home furnishing products.<br /> Sales for the IKEA Group for the financial year 2009 increased by 1.4 per cent to a total<br />of 21.5 billion euros. Despite the tough economic climate, IKEA UK & Ireland has<br />reported that total sales for the year to 31 August 2009 rose by 1.1% to £1.2 billion.<br /> Last year, IKEA stores welcomed a total of 590 million visitors.<br /> Last year, the annual IKEA catalogue was printed in 195 million copies, 56 editions and<br />in 27 languages. In total, the catalogue was read by 400 million people in 41 countries.<br />Ingvar Kamprad penned all the text himself until 1963. <br />Come Dine with us!<br />Did you know that we have a 550 seater restaurant?It's the perfect place for you to relax from shopping for a while and bring the family for a tasty meal. <br />Irish Cancer Society and IKEA join fundraising forces<br />Teddy Bears Picnic This Mid Term<br />4086225-313690The Irish Cancer Society (ICS) is delighted to announce that IKEA has chosen to work with the Society as the store’s official charity partner for the coming year. Through the support of IKEA the ICS will be able to continue to provide night nursing care to critically ill children. To celebrate the partnership IKEA will host a special four day family fundraising event at the store from 24th to 27th of February. The event will include face painting, storytelling, children’s games and a large teddy bear’s picnic – so don’t forget to bring along the special bear in your life!Return to this page for a timetable of events from 14th. <br />6th - 12th March<br />IKEA FAMILY Supports National Tree Week<br />4239895-278130To celebrate National Tree week and IKEA's partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland to bring you the \"
FAMILY Foot of Forest Campaign\"
. We will be hosting a week of fun events in store to celebrate National Tree week. Watch this space for a full list of scheduled events! Remember every time you swipe your IKEA FAMILY card we donate a square foot of forest on your behalf! <br />What is the IKEA FAMILY card?<br />Helping you find that perfect bed...<br />FREE Chiropractor advice in our bedrooms department<br />To celebrate our fantastic Malm and Sultan 10% offer Our Consultant Chiropractors from \"
Back To Health\"
will be available in our bedrooms department on Wednesday 9th February 1pm - 3pm and Friday 11th 3pm - 5pm to give you advice on the best mattress for you. Simply visit the bedrooms department for more information Hurry... this offer ends 30th January! <br />The MALM and SULTAN Mattress Offer<br />Some of us wear a yellow shirt. Some of us don’t.<br />To most of our customers, “working at IKEA” means working at an IKEA store. But it takes hundreds of other roles to create low-priced, well-designed products that improve your life at home. <br /> <br />Communication and interior design<br />As a home furnishing company, IKEA needs interior design competence in different areas, including every IKEA store, and in marketing and communication areas such as catalogue production. <br /> <br />Customer Relations<br />Customer relations at IKEA includes roles inside and outside our stores – from reception and children’s play areas to check out, exchange and returns and contact centres. <br />Design and product developmentIKEA designers and product developers work with the IKEA product range. Their focus in developing products is on low price and quality, design and function, environment concerns and safety. <br /> Finance and Business navigation<br />Finance co-workers look after IKEA financial requirements and follow-up. Business navigators help make strategic business decisions using their entrepreneurial skills and management information.<br />Human Resources<br />Our human resources teams work throughout the IKEA organisation and lead the work of attracting, developing and inspiring IKEA co-workers. They handle recruitment and training, benefits and succession planning, and safeguarding the IKEA culture. <br /> <br />Information technology (IT)<br />IKEA IT is a global organisation that supports IKEA with business solutions and services. IT supplies quick, lean and user-friendly services rather than just technology. <br /> <br />Logistics<br />IKEA logistics see to it that goods flow from supplier to customer is as direct and costeffective as possible, and with the least harm to the environment. This applies to both transport and goods handling in distribution centres and stores. <br />Marketing and Communication<br />Marketing and communication specialists work in all countries with IKEA stores, and at IKEA Communications in Älmhult, Sweden. Our marketing channels include the IKEA Catalogue, IKEA websites, brochures, advertising and PR. <br />PurchasingPurchasing teams are located around the world and work with suppliers in more than 50 countries. Besides getting the best value for money for IKEA, they support suppliers in improving working conditions and assuring sustainability. <br />Restaurant (IKEA Food)IKEA FOOD offers many challenging positions within four areas – the restaurant, the Bistro, the Swedish Food Market specialty shop and the staff restaurant. <br /> Sales<br />Our sales co-workers communicate the IKEA range and self-serve concept with our customers on a daily basis. This requires a passion for retail combined with knowledge of IKEA customers, the IKEA concept and the IKEA product range. <br />Sustainability and TQE<br />Specialists within Technique, Quality and Environment improve all aspects of product quality at IKEA while they minimize costs and contribute to social and environm product range<br />The IKEA product range is wide in several ways. First, it's wide in function: you'll find everything you need to furnish your home, from plants and living-room furnishings to toys and whole kitchens. Second it's wide in style. The romantic at heart will find just as much as the minimalist. And finally, by being coordinated, the range is wide in function and style at the same time, and at all times. No matter which style you prefer, there is something for everyone. Anybody can make a good-quality product for a high price, or a poor-quality product for a low price. But to make good products at low prices, you need to develop methods that are both cost-efficient and innovative. That is why at IKEA we approach things a little differently. ental sustainability. Roles include legal compliance, environmental engineering and product engineering.<br />We see things differently<br />One IKEA product developer decided to use a door as a tabletop when he toured a door factory that used board-on-frame construction - layering of sheets of wood over a honeycomb core that gives a strong, lightweight structure with a minimal wood content. This type of construction is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, and is used today in IKEA products such as the LACK table from 1980.<br />It's not easy combining good design and good function with the right quality, at an affordable price. But then we aren't known for taking the easy way out. By working together with skilled manufacturers, IKEA designers find ways to get the most out of a raw material. We are constantly looking for smart solutions to meet our customers needs. <br />Products and materials<br />IKEA works to ensure that products and materials are adapted to minimise any negative impact on the environment, and are safe for customers from a health perspective. As part of our business idea, we insist on keeping costs low and always try to use resources wisely when designing our products. We strive to use renewable and recyclable materials in our products. <br />