IKEA has appointed David McCabe as country retail manager and chief sustainability officer for the UK and Ireland, with the long-serving executive set to take up the role on 1 July 2026.

McCabe currently serves as global fulfilment and core services manager at Ingka Group, where he leads IKEA’s worldwide fulfilment operations. He will succeed Peter Jelkeby, who has moved to become chief executive and chief sustainability officer of IKEA Germany following a period of growth in the UK and Ireland business.

The executive will oversee the retailer’s continued expansion and development of its omnichannel operations in the region. The appointment comes as IKEA seeks to extend its reach and improve accessibility for customers across both markets.

McCabe has spent around 30 years with the business, having begun his career at the Lakeside store in 1996. His experience includes leadership roles across North America and Europe, covering areas such as logistics, commercial strategy, expansion and retail management. He returned to the UK and Ireland in 2019 as commercial manager, guiding the business through the Covid-19 pandemic. McCabe later served as country retail manager and chief sustainability officer for the CZHUSK region, covering Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia, before taking up his current global role.

In a statement, McCabe said: “It is a true honour to be rejoining the UK and Ireland team,” adding that “we have a great opportunity to shape the future of IKEA in the UK and Ireland, as we continue to strengthen our focus on becoming even more accessible, affordable and sustainable for our customers.”

IKEA has accelerated its physical expansion since the start of 2025, opening nine new locations across the UK and Ireland. These include city centre stores on Oxford Street in London and in Brighton, alongside smaller format outlets and Plan and Order Points in locations such as Hull, Waterford, York and Dundee.

The company has also recently announced a pilot for its large-format stores in the UK where it will host third-party retailers inside its estate. The Croydon branch will be the first store to trial the concept, and will host a boutique of sports retailer Decathlon.

The leadership change places McCabe at the centre of IKEA’s next phase of regional growth, combining operational oversight with responsibility for sustainability strategy.

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