Boyden's Leadership Series Features IKEA's Roberto Monti

NEW YORK and GENOA, Italy, August 2, 2012 – Boyden, a global leader in executive search, today released its latest issue of the Boyden Leadership Series featuring an in-depth interview with Roberto Monti, Region Manager, South and East Europe, at IKEA.

In the interview, Mr. Monti discusses how sustainability and people-orientation underpin IKEA’s corporate culture, how values are transmitted across the globe, how the European economic crisis provides opportunity, and how the proper mix of talent is critical for success.

“IKEA’s substantial market gains this year, in both healthier and economically challenged European markets, are a testament to the company’s vision and execution,” said Trina Gordon, President and CEO of Boyden World Corporation. “IKEA’s accomplishments stand out in the incredibly competitive retail sector.”

“Roberto’s deep knowledge of the consumer retail sector combined with his personal engagement with local teams and customers have yielded impressive results,” said Anders Lindholm, Managing Director and Partner of Boyden Italy. “IKEA’s success provides a great model for useful lessons in building business and customer loyalty across many diverse markets.”

Mr. Monti leads IKEA’s operations in Southern and Eastern Europe as the Region Manager. He acts as President for the respective country boards and is a member of IKEA’s Retail Group Management.

Mr. Monti started his career at IKEA in 1990 and has held several positions at IKEA Italy, starting in 1992, to help expand and manage operations there. In 1999, he briefly joined BAA McArthurGlen as General Manager, introducing the outlet concept in Europe, and Italy specifically. He returned to IKEA in 2001 as Retail Manager, becoming Managing Director for Italy, the fourth largest country in the IKEA group, in 2004. He was appointed to his current position in 2010. Mr. Monti studied International Relations in Sweden, receiving his degree from the University of Lund.