- A top leader at IKEA says to seize opportunities and be curious, a job right out of university could land you in the C-suite.
In a world where climbing the corporate ladder often follows a predictable script, Peter Jelkeby stands out as a true exception. His road to management took a radical detour from the well-trodden paths of graduate programs and senior executive mentorship. It all started when he stepped on the bustling shop floor of IKEA at the age of 19.
“I was the guy handing out the trolley and picking things from shelving or storage for customers,” he recalls to Fortune.
At the time, Jelkeby was juggling his modest part-time job at IKEA with his studies at the University of Gothenburg. Despite being rapidly promoted, first to operating a forklift and then again to sales in the living room aisles, climbing the ranks at the Swedish self-assembly furniture giant wasn't part of his initial plan.
"I can say I didn't really have a career in mind," he laughs.
Instead, he likens his career journey which all started with a phone call to “slipping on a banana peel”—completely accidental and extremely quick.
There should always be some butterflies with a new role
While studying marketing at University in the 80s, news of IKEA's venture into the Soviet Union piqued Jelkeby’s interest. He called the company’s head office to enquire about doing his final thesis on the move and was unexpectedly met with a job offer.
“The first thing they said to me was, you can forget about doing any final school assignments here. But we would like to talk employment with you,” Jelkeby recalls, while adding that it shows the importance of doing good "in the present" rather than always looking ahead.
“I left that meeting thinking, ‘I’m never going to take that job,’” he adds. However, it didn't take long for Jelkeby to change his mind. By the end of the car journey home, he was enthralled by the possibility of going on an adventure.
And just like that, he uprooted from Sweden and spent the next two decades globe-trotting and climbing IKEA's ranks—taking on almost 20 roles—from a purchaser in Moscow to a purchaser manager in Vietnam, before landing as the deputy country manager in London.
At times, he had seemingly only just gotten the hang of his new job before taking on another completely different role in a new country “overnight”, but instead of being afraid of the unknown, Jelkeby says he welcomes it.
“Grasp opportunities—because you could have said to me, you work in purchasing one day and the next you're a sales manager, what’s in your CV to justify that?,” he says while adding that instead of stereotyping themselves, aspirational workers should keep an open mind and follow their gut instinct.
“As with everything, when you enter into a new role, of course, there is going to be some sort of anticipation or apprehensiveness but there should always be some butterflies.”
Life outside IKEA
Having grown at IKEA from a teenager to a family man with three children, Jelkeby tells Fortune it was time to discover who he was outside of the company.
So in 2008, he called it quits on the only employer he’s ever really had (and being a perpetual expat) to go back home and join Swedish retailer Clas Ohlson as its COO.
“I learned that I am fine outside IKEA and that I can thrive,” he says. But he also soon realized, that there are also a few “fundamentals” that he can’t work without.
“I need a value-based company where I believe in the purpose and I was lucky enough to come to a company that also has very nice values,” he adds.
Although the company culture at Clas Ohlson and IKEA were similar, working for a public company—IKEA is one of the world's largest privately-held companies—provided Jelkeby with a fresh challenge.
“It was quite interesting to be exposed,” Jelkeby says. “Leading a company on the stock market and being more scrutinized was a good experience—really!”
Lessons on Boomeranging
Despite discovering that he could “thrive” outside of IKEA, a decade of space from the company left Jelkeby “subconsciously” rooting to return.
“I was curious about what I could do after having been away for a while, and what I can bring back,” he says.
So in 2019, he boomeraged back to IKEA as CEO of U.K. and Ireland. “When I came back it felt very natural,” Jelkeby beams.
Heading back to a former employer, known as boomeranging, is currently having a moment.
Numerous studies show that businesses have seen a surge in workers reaching out to old workplaces and reapplying for the jobs they quit—or leveraging their new experience to return to a more senior position, like Jelkeby.
Even in the C-suite, 19 CEOs at Russell 3000 companies circled back for round two at the helm last year, according to governance data from Insightia.
“If you miss something, then where you ended up wasn't the right place,” Jelkeby offers his take on the trend. But, he has some stern words of wisdom for those thinking slotting back into their old jobs will be a breeze.
Really, the company you left behind may not be the same as the one you’re rejoining, as Jelkeby points out, it could have been acquired while you were away or overhauled its company values.
“It's important to ask the same questions that you would have when you join a new employer,” he urges those contemplating returning to an ex-employer.
“Make sure you understand where the company is, whatever they’ve done when you were away, so you're not totally naive about what has happened.”
A version of this story was originally published on Fortune.com on September 26, 2023.
