IKEA has today (Monday 13 April 2026) announced the appointment of David McCabe as its new country retail manager and chief sustainability officer (CSO) for the UK and Ireland.Currently the Global Fulfilment & Core Services Manager for Ingka Group, leading IKEA’s global fulfilment team, McCabe will step into his new position on 1 July 2026. He will lead the UK & Ireland organisation as it continues to grow its omni-channel business to bring the IKEA brand closer to more customers than ever before.
McCabe takes over from Peter Jelkeby, who recently transitioned to lead IKEA Germany following a successful period of growth and expansion for the UK and Ireland business.
McCabe brings a wealth of global experience to the role, having started his IKEA career in 1996 at the IKEA Lakeside store in the UK. His 30-year journey with the company has included diverse leadership roles across North America and Europe, in both country and global assignments spanning expansion, commercial, logistics, innovation and retail management. He returned to the UK and Ireland as commercial manager in 2019, navigating the business through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. McCabe then went on to serve as country retail manager and CSO for IKEA CZHUSK (Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia), for four years, where he led with a strong focus on developing people, strengthening performance, while keeping IKEA values at the core, before taking on his current role with Ingka Group.
Reflecting on his new role, McCabe said: “It is a true honour to be rejoining the UK and Ireland team. So much has changed since I started my IKEA career three decades ago in the Lakeside store, but the constant has always been the fantastic people who bring our culture to life. I have been continually impressed by the team’s achievements. Now, together, 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.”
Since the start of 2025, IKEA has significantly expanded its footprint in the UK and Ireland with nine new locations, including two city centre stores on London’s iconic Oxford Street and in Brighton, as well as new Plan and Order Points in Hull, Waterford, York, and Dundee, and three new-format small stores in retail park locations in Harlow, Norwich and Chester.
