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Jenn Chin | February 4, 2022

IKEA

HOW TO BUILD ROADS AS YOU WALK ON THEM FOR INCLUSIVE HUMAN AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Early personal experiences led Dr Tie Wang-Jones to become an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion champion and expert, long before it was topical. During her 6yrs at IKEA, she was on the first global ED&I team that built the companywide strategy and function from scratch across a matrix network of 40+ country leaders. She then ventured into the tech space as Global Digital Transformation Leader focused on cross-functional co-creation of the company’s digital sourcing strategy before accepting a recent appointment as Global Head of Digital Inclusive Design. She talks about her learnings and perspectives about how an unwavering commitment to social impact and company integrity enables human and digital transformation that sustains innovation and growth at one of the most successful and admired global companies in the world.

Note: Dr Tie Wang Jones is currently the Global Head Of Digital Inclusive Design. At the time of the interview she was the Global Digital Transformation Lead. She is not the formal spokesperson on ED&I for IKEA. Any reference to this topic relates to her personal lived experiences and broader credentials in the ED&I space that include 10yrs experience in the field doing program development, primary research, clinical practice, consulting & enterprise strategic planning and related dual PHD in business & clinical psychology. Please contact IKEA for formal ED&I enquiries.

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Recent News about Tie: How An Empathy Driven Philosophy For Inclusive Digital Experience Design

https://www.ingka.com/news/breaking-the-glass-ceiling-female-leadership-in-experience-design/

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October 2020

00.34 Career Overview & Expertise

2.17 How Personal Experiences Led To A Lifelong Passion For Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and being a ‘professional queer’

5.05 What Else Defines You As A Person Beyond Your Professional Achievements

7.05 How IKEA’s Commitment To Social Impact & Humanistic Enables Sustained Global Growth & Being Best In Class In Sustainability and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

12.47 Integrity Standards For Partners & Suppliers To Work With IKEA

15.45 Learnings About How To Implement Effective ED&I Strategies For Systemic Change Where ED&I Initiatives Falter or Fail

20.09 Why ED&I Is Still Not Being Taken Seriously Despite Moral & Economic Imperatives Common Missteps & Misconceptions In Applying ED&I Despite Good Intentions The Importance Of Data To Find The Source of ED&I Contributing Factors

25.59 What Metrics Organisations Should Have When It Comes To ED&I

27.42 Debunking Common ED&I Misconceptions e.g. Quotas, Favouritism, Can’t Find The Talent

32.36 Why ED&I Is Not A Zero-Sum Game, But Benefits Everyone, Not Just Minority Groups

35.21 The Difference In Impact Between Mentorship & Sponsorship

38.26 Global Digital Transformation Leader IKEA Remit IKEA’s Digital Transformation Growth Strategy

42.44 Translating A Signature In-Store Offline Experience Online

45.23 A ‘Test Everything’ Approach & Willingness To Change The Roots Of The Brand To Continue to Innovate & Deliver Consumer Value

48.19 Leadership Lessons & Reflections