Inter IKEA Group has appointed two new members to its group management team, with Rob Kelly joining as retail concept manager and Pontus Erntell joining as CFO.
Rob joins Inter IKEA Group from IKEA Canada, where he has served as commercial manager. He brings more than 30 years of IKEA experience and has held leadership positions across the IKEA value chain. He succeeds Dennis Balslev, who will retire in December.
IKEA says Rob will lead the work to safeguard, develop and strengthen the IKEA concept and brand across existing and new markets. This includes setting the strategic direction for the future of IKEA retail – working with franchisees and retailers to support growth and create omnichannel customer experiences.
“Rob brings deep retail experience, strong commercial understanding and a genuine connection to the IKEA values," says Jakub Jankowski, CEO of Inter IKEA Group. "He understands how customers live, shop and interact with IKEA today, and he knows our value chain well. I am very happy to welcome Rob to Inter IKEA Group and to the management team. I also want to thank Dennis for his leadership, commitment, and everything he’s given to IKEA over 47 years,”
Pontus joins Inter IKEA Group from IKEA China, where he currently serves as country retail manager and chief sustainability officer. Prior to that, he held several senior business navigation and retail leadership positions across IKEA globally.
As CFO, Pontus will oversee the Inter IKEA Group's financial management, business performance and risk. He will also be a member of the Inter IKEA Holding management board. He takes over from Henrik Elm, who has been both operations manager and CFO since 2024.
The retailer says a standalone CFO role will give Inter IKEA Group stronger focus and capacity in day-to-day financial execution and long-term financial direction, enabling Henrik to focus on IKEA operations at a critical time.
“Pontus combines strong financial expertise with broad business leadership experience," says Jakub. "He understands the full IKEA value chain and has demonstrated an ability to lead through complexity while staying close to the business. These are important strengths as we continue to improve performance and create the conditions for sustainable growth."
Pictured: Pontus and Rob
