Anders Dahlvig

Anders Dahlvig’s Background

Former Chief Executive and President of The IKEA Group from 1999 to 2009, the furniture giant grew significantly under the Leadership of Anders Dahlvig.

Anders believes that if individuals are given a chance they will either sink or swim and that bosses should have faith in their employees. His optimism is as evident as his knowledge and competence. He firmly believes that in order to succeed as a manager, you must understand a business fully, learning even the smallest details about how processes work on a day-to-day basis.

Anders Dahlvig was born in Sweden in 1957. He has said in an interview that he would have probably liked to have been a teacher if he had not gone into business. Having chosen to study business administration at the Lund University in Sweden, Anders discovered he had a real interest in the subject. He then travelled to America to study at the University of California, completing an MA in economics.

The way in which Anders progressed within IKEA is truly inspirational. He wrote a letter to the company whilst he was still in the US and had reached the point when he was not expecting a reply when he was contacted by IKEA in order to arrange an interview. His interviews were a success and he was soon appointed as a trainee controller. He excelled in his role and when he was 25, he was promoted, becoming the controller of the company’s German operation. He went on to work in management for IKEA in several countries, giving him an accurate perception of how the company was performing internationally.

All the experience within IKEA made Anders the ideal candidate for promotion and he was CEO of IKEA between 1999 and 2009. He concentrated on making the branches of the company in different countries more united and in ensuring the company was aiming to become a market leader in terms of environmental and ethical policies. Under his care, the company achieved average annual growth of 11%. After IKEA Anders in now on the board of several companies and works with universities and charities.

Anders is a keen sportsman and enjoys visiting the gym, playing tennis and golf. When he is in appropriate locations, he also loves to ski.