Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, recently graduated 73 participants from its Bloom leadership accelerator programme. Launched in 2022, Bloom has propelled diverse and early-career talents into Market Manager positions. These roles oversee IKEA’s stores and customer engagement across digital and physical platforms. The cohort includes the youngest-ever Market Managers in Sweden, Norway, and France. The first Bloom graduates average 28 years in age, significantly younger than the company-wide average of 47 for Market Managers, according to Ingka Group.

Bloom nurtures participants with training, mentorship, and job rotations, focusing on co-workers not traditionally identified for leadership paths. This strategy has driven diversity, with 61% of graduates identifying as female and representing 33 nationalities across 22 markets. Graduates gathered in Sweden for the programme's conclusion this week.

Thea from Norway shared her Bloom journey, stating, “It pushed me out of my comfort zone but provided the support I needed to succeed.”

Building on Bloom's success, Ingka Group plans to launch Bloom OMNI. This programme will develop 60 leaders across 10 markets for Retail Leader roles in areas such as food, digital, and home furnishing design. OMNI will include mentorship, development events, and cross-functional role rotations.

Ulrika Biesèrt, Chief People & Culture Officer, highlighted the programme's importance: “It ensures a robust succession pipeline and empowers leaders from diverse backgrounds.”