Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands, January 2026 – Alejandra Piñol has assumed the role of Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Global People & Culture Manager at Ingka Group / IKEA, effective 1 January 2026. In this global leadership role, she will oversee the people and culture agenda across the Ingka Group, reinforcing IKEA’s long-standing commitment to creating a better everyday life for the many people, with co-workers at the heart of the organization’s growth and culture.
Reflecting on this transition, Alejandra Piñol shared that it is a privilege to continue contributing to IKEA’s vision alongside co-workers across the globe. She emphasized the importance of intentional leadership, consistency, honesty, and care in shaping not only individual growth and happiness, but also how teams thrive and how culture comes alive across the organization. As she steps into this role, her focus remains on building on IKEA’s strong people foundation while embracing future opportunities with determination and kindness.
Alejandra Piñol brings over 14 years of experience with IKEA, having progressed through a series of senior people leadership roles across regions. Most recently, she served as Deputy CHRO at Ingka Group / IKEA, based in Leiden, following her role as Deputy CHRO People & Culture at Ingka Group and CHRO for IKEA Retail, where she provided strategic leadership to large, diverse workforces across markets.
Earlier, she held global roles including Global Head of Talent Management and Global Deputy Head of Retail People & Culture, contributing to enterprise-wide talent, leadership, and culture initiatives. Her international career within IKEA also includes serving as CHRO for IKEA China, Deputy CHRO for IKEA Austria, and Human Resources Manager in Spain, reflecting deep exposure to multicultural, multi-market people strategies.
Before joining IKEA, Alejandra Piñol built strong commercial and organizational experience at Swarovski as Commercial Development Manager for Spain & Portugal, and earlier at Siemens, where she worked in internal communications—experience that continues to inform her holistic approach to people, culture, and organizational impact.
She holds a Postgraduate qualification in Human Resources from Universitat Pompeu Fabra and completed the Business Development Program (PDD) at IESE Business School, strengthening her grounding in leadership and business strategy.
About IKEA
Founded in Sweden in 1943, IKEA operates with the vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people by offering well-designed, functional, affordable home furnishings produced with care for people and the environment. The IKEA brand unites more than 200,000 co-workers worldwide and operates through a unique franchise system across multiple markets, reaching millions of customers globally.
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