Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Cost: FEW Members ¥2,000 / Guests ¥5,000 (supper and drinks included)
No advance reservation required.
Please note this is a women only event.

Venue: Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan (FCCJ), Yurakucho Denki Building, 20th Floor (http://www.fccj.or.jp/~fccjyod2/aboutus/map)

Speaker: Mr. Lars Petersson, President & CEO of IKEA Japan.

IKEA MEETS JAPAN!

How can we “provide well-designed, functional furniture, all for a very low price?” Since its establishment in 1943, IKEA the Swedish furniture retailer, has taken this simple question and used it to turn their business into one of the largest and most well-known household brands in the world.

In the forthcoming September meeting, Lars Petersson, the President & CEO of IKEA Japan, will talk about IKEA’s business. He will start from its roots and share with us how the founder, Ingvar Kamprad and his dedicated IKEA employees, shaped the company into what it is today.

In 2006, as part of their rapidly growing expansion, IKEA opened a branch in Japan. To many, one of the first questions that comes to mind is how is IKEA fairing in Japan? Faced with fierce competition and an extremely sophisticated Japanese consumer market, how did IKEA, being a foreign brand, approach marketing, operations and management? What strategies did Mr. Petersson and his team employ to satisfy the Japanese consumer? These questions and more will be answered during the presentation.

Lars Petersson, President & CEO of IKEA Japan, brings 24 years of experience working for IKEA.
An industry veteran, Mr. Petersson held various managerial positions within IKEA overseeing marketing and sales. He held previous sales and marketing posts in Sweden, Italy, and is currently overseeing operations in Japan. Mr. Petersson graduated from Lund University while studying economics. When not immersed in his work, he enjoys jogging, music and spending time with his wife and 2 children.

Profile
Sept 2006 President & CEO IKEA Japan
Sept 2005 Retail Manager at IKEA Japan
2001-2005 Marketing Manager for IKEA International in Helsingborg
1991-1995 Marketing Manager and Retail Manager at IKEA Italia in Milan
1987-1991 Sales Manager at IKEA Sweden in Älmhult
1983-1987 Started IKEA career at IKEA Malmö as Group Leader for Outdoors, Dining Kitchen and Living Room Furniture
1983 Graduated from Lund University Economics Department