Karen will move to London for the role and joins us from IKEA Range & Supply, based in Sweden, where she currently leads IKEA’s “Quality for Life” transformation as Global Quality Manager, a position that she has held for the past five years. Before joining IKEA, Karen has held different management positions with global consumer brands such as Nike, Triumph and Reebok.

“Karen’s extensive knowledge and experience from various retail business across the world, and most recently from IKEA, will truly benefit the future success of the Quant business,” shares Jesper Schmidt.

A citizen of both UK and New Zealand, Karen holds a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Textile Design & Design Management from The University of Manchester. She began her career in New Zealand and has since had the opportunity to work in Australia, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Sweden.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Quant team as I believe that the key to success for any business is to truly understand people’s needs and dreams and then deliver beyond the expected. I am eager to learn more about how the right data, strategy and technology enable businesses to understand what matters most to their customers. With IKEA as our biggest partner, we are uniquely positioned to build strong relationships between the world’s leading furniture retailer and its target group – the many people. I look forward to exciting times ahead!” says Karen.

Lars Thorsén, CEO of Ikano Group, concludes: “Karen is known for her strong leadership and with her passion for business and people we expect an exciting journey for Quant Marketing. Her background from IKEA gives her an important jump start into Ikano, as she is already familiar with our culture, and this will be of great value for the business.”

For more information, please contact:

Marie Gällstad, Head of Ikano Group Communications

[email protected], +352 691 488 320

About Quant Marketing

We are a global CRM and loyalty agency, combining strategy with end-to-end service delivery. We use data to gain unique insights into customer behaviour, delivering excellent loyalty propositions and effective engagement programmes.

About Ikano Group

At Ikano, our vision is to create possibilities for better living.

We are an international group of companies active within banking, real estate, production, insurance and retail. Ikano Group was established in 1988 and is owned by the Kamprad family.