Karen Pflug has been the Chief Sustainability Officer of the Ingka Group since 2021, responsible for supporting the commitments set out in the IKEA People and Planet Positive Strategy. With over 25 years of experience as an industry leader in innovation, design and quality for revolutionary brands, Karen is highly revered in her field. She may now be hired to speak at a wide range of events on sustainable living and business.
Karen has led an illustrious career, making her one of the most reputed figures in her field. Starting out as a Textile Research Scientist at the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand, she later became the Apparel Brand Manager at Wools of New Zealand, before taking over responsibility as the Menswear Product Manager at the Country Road Group. In 2005, Karen became the Senior Merchandise Manager of Professional Sports at the Nike European Headquarters. She soon worked her way up to being the Innovation Director of Global Football Apparel at the Nike European Headquarters, where she worked on the “on field” Nike national teams’ kit for the 2010 Football World Cup.
Other prominent roles held by Karen include being the Apparel Director for Reebok, Global Apparel Director for Skins and Global Head of Innovation for Triumph International. In 2014, she joined as the Global Head of Quality at IKEA where she drove innovation and product improvement programmes so that customer’s experiences with the products was enhanced. After five years in this role, Karen progressed to being the CEO of Ikano Insight – a data, insight and business intelligence agency. Karen then decided to return to IKEA and the Ingka Group and has been doing phenomenal work in the areas of innovation, sustainable design and retail.
Karen believes that if high quality, economical products are created, there is a chance that there will be less impact on our planet. A seasoned professional with 25 years of experience across several industries, Karen Pflug is an excellent choice to speak at your next sustainability event. Her ability to approach complex challenges posed by the dynamic retail environment with creativity, passion and unparalleled business analytical skills is impeccable. Hire her today!
