Susanne Waidzunas has spent over 25 years shaping one of the most intricate global supply chains on the planet at IKEA. From her early days managing suppliers in the Baltics to leading a sweeping digital and sustainability transformation, Susanne offers a rare look inside IKEA’s end-to-end strategy. We explore how her team is decoupling growth from material usage, investing in automation to boost resilience, and building a culture of collaborative leadership to future-proof operations. A masterclass in supply chain leadership and transformation.
Listen to the full discussion here:
Connect with the Guest:
Susanne Waidzunas is the Global Supply Manager at Inter IKEA Group, the company that owns the IKEA concept, product range, and global supply chain. Inter IKEA works with franchisees like the Inca Group, which operates the retail stores we all know and shop at.
Since September 2022, Susanne has been leading purchasing, transport, wholesale, IKEA’s own manufacturing, and the supply support functions across IKEA’s global supply chain, one of the most complex in the world.
She is part of the Inter IKEA Group Management Team, shaping global strategy alongside the CEO, and has been with IKEA for over 25 years in various roles across supply chain, logistics, and distribution.
Highlights & Show Notes:
- [01:39] Susanne’s early career breakthrough which stemmed from building supplier relationships in the Baltics and falling in love with IKEA’s culture, people, and unique way of doing business.
- [03:11] How a visit to a dye-polluted river in Bangladesh became a defining moment in her career.
- [06:23] IKEA’s end-to-end supply chain model and how it evolved.
- [08:57] Strategies to navigate geopolitical disruptions and reduce dependency.
- [11:12] Why automation and re-engineering furniture design are keys to flexibility.
- [13:11] The complexity of S&OP and IKEA’s multi-year digital transformation.
- [14:46] How IKEA is tackling over 50% of its carbon footprint via material innovation.
- [16:49] Circularity efforts and secondary raw material integration.
- [18:13] Guidance on future-proofing skills and lifelong learning.
- [19:42] The hardest skills to find in supply chain leadership and why collaboration trumps silos.
- [22:13] Susanne’s advice to future supply chain leaders: Be curious and raise your hand for opportunities.
Quotes from the Episode:
About the Host:
A great conversation with Susanne Waidzunas. I am your host, Radu Palamariu, Group CEO of Alcott Global, working on C-level and top management executive search assignments with Top Fortune 500 companies and local conglomerates in value chains across manufacturing, logistics, transportation, supply chain management, and e-commerce. I’m also the co-author of “From Source to Sold – Stories of Leadership in Supply Chain”.
Alcott Global provides executive search solutions for key positions at all pillars of end-to-end value chains from general management to overall supply chain operations, including executive and non-executive board roles, globally.
On September 10, 2025, we celebrated the Top 30 Leaders in Supply Chain for 2025 in the annual Leaders in Supply Chain Awards. These exceptional individuals are shaping the future of global logistics through innovation, resilience, and transformative leadership. Explore the insights, achievements, and strategies that earned them a place among the industry’s best.
At our in-person Makers & Movers event, we bring together C-level executives from multinational companies to connect, collaborate, and innovate on a forum focused on business value creation.
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#211: Why Calm Leadership Wins in Supply Chain with Arne Flemming of Bosch
