IKEA has appointed Erin Falconer as Head of Marketing for Australia and New Zealand, effective this week, following nearly a decade with the Swedish home furnishing retailer.
Falconer steps up from her previous role as Marketing Communications Manager, a position she held since 2017, in which she led IKEA’s in-house content team and agency partners on integrated campaigns and brand positioning.
She takes over from Kirsten Hasler, who will remain with the business through a transition period before departing in August 2026.
From campaigns to strategy
In her new role, Falconer will be responsible for developing and executing data-driven marketing strategies to attract new customers, strengthen brand presence, and drive commercial growth across both markets.
Artsiom Tsalko, IKEA Australia and New Zealand Growth and Marketing Manager, said Falconer’s appointment would strengthen the brand’s market expression.
“Erin’s proven expertise in brand leadership and her passion for creative excellence will be invaluable as we continue to strengthen the external expression of the IKEA brand and drive impactful marketing strategies,” said Tsalko.
Hasler said Falconer had been central to the brand’s commercial performance in the region.
“Erin has played a significant part in IKEA Australia and NZ’s brand growth and commercial results, by leading our local brand positioning and implementing it through consistent, globally recognised, creative work that is both creatively powerful and commercially excellent,” said Hasler.
Background in global media and retail
Before joining IKEA, Falconer held senior marketing communications roles at Disney, BBC Worldwide, and Time Warner – including Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. – and was part of the team that supported the launch of Netflix in Australia.
Falconer said the focus would be on deepening local relevance alongside commercial performance.
“We have such a strong platform to build from, and I’m energised by the opportunity to lead an incredibly high-performing IKEA Marketing team and external agency partners to connect brand, customer and commercial performance in the sharpest, most efficient and impactful ways,” said Falconer.
Main image: Erin Falconer