Management Hall of Fame: Leading Management Gurus

Ingvar Kamprad
IKEA - Global King of Furniture (1926-Present)

• "How the hell can I ask people who work for me to travel cheaply if I am traveling in luxury." (Ingvar Kamprad)
• "Simplicity is a virtue" (Ingvar Kamprad)

Key Work

• Starts IKEA company
• Advertises furniture for the first time & publishes first catalog. 
• Introduces flat packaging and self-service in stores.
• Ownership transferred to Dutch Foundation - Stichting INGKA. becomes multibillion dollar company

Kamprad is a brilliant unorthodox businessman who manage to upset the odds and outsmart furniture cartel in Sweden and world competition. His strategy was low prices and good quality through innovations and design such as flat-pack furniture and self-service. Shopping the IKEA way became a family day out, a fun experience.

Books & References:

• Torekull, Bertil. Leading By Design: The IKEA Story . New York: Harper Business, 1999.

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