Karen Pflug is the Chief Sustainability Officer at Ingka Group, the largest IKEA retailer, operating 400 stores across 31 markets. As a member of the senior leadership team, she oversees the delivery of Ingka’s global Sustainability Strategy, including its commitment to the Paris Agreement and the goal of reducing its climate footprint by 50% by 2030. In this role, she leads the integration of sustainability into core business decisions across Ingka Retail, Centres and Investments.

Recognised by TIME100 in 2024 as one of the top business leaders driving climate action, Karen is known for linking bold climate ambition with scalable business transformation. Under her leadership, Ingka has accelerated investments in renewable energy, championed circular customer offers, and strengthened its human rights and social impact agenda.

Karen brings over 25 years of international experience in sustainable design, innovation, and business transformation, including leadership roles at global brands such as Nike, Reebok and Triumph International. She has spent more than a decade working across the IKEA value chain, including as CEO of Ikano Insight and Head of Quality at Inter IKEA Group.

She holds a first-class BSc in Textile Design and Design Management from the University of Manchester, has completed the Business and Sustainability Executive Education Programme at the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL). Originally from the UK, Karen has lived and worked across Europe, Asia, and Oceania. She is an avid cyclist, kayaker, and wild swimmer passionate about reconnecting people with nature. She currently lives in the Netherlands with her husband and two children.