Inter IKEA Group is owned by Interogo Foundation, based in Liechtenstein and established in 1989.
Background
The foundation is an independent legal entity with legal personality and its own bodies. The foundation is intended to exist for an unlimited period of time.
The ownership and governance structures of Inter IKEA Group have evolved during the many years of international expansion of the IKEA Concept. Like many entrepreneurs, the founder Ingvar Kamprad has a true passion for his lifework and wanted to secure the independence and longevity of the IKEA Concept.
Ownership of the IKEA Concept including the IKEA Trademark was during the 1980s separated from the ownership of the INGKA Group of Companies. These intellectual property rights are the main assets of Inter IKEA Group. The overall purpose of Inter IKEA Group is to secure independence and longevity, and through Inter IKEA Systems B.V. control, safeguard and develop the IKEA Concept.
With this long-term business perspective and intention to remain independent, a market listing of the Inter IKEA companies was never an option. Instead, the foundations ownership structure of Inter IKEA Group was established to secure independence and longevity.
The Liechtenstein Foundation law provisions were at the time of the formation of Interogo found to be best suited for the very specific objective for which Interogo was established.
An Enterprise foundation
Interogo is an enterprise foundation (Unternehmensstiftung) with the status of a legal person under Liechtenstein law. Its entire purpose is to support and invest in the expansion of the underlying businesses within Inter IKEA Group in order to secure the independence and the longevity of the group and the IKEA Concept.
According to the statutes, funds can also be used to support individual IKEA retailers experiencing financial difficulties or for grants to certain charitable causes.
The Interogo Foundation is controlled (but not owned) by the Kamprad family. In simple terms, the characteristic of a foundation is that it ‘owns itself’. Consequently, funds held by the foundation can only be used for purposes determined by its statutes.
Most of the profits generated within the Inter IKEA Group are reinvested in the Inter IKEA businesses or in different financial instruments (shares, bonds, etc.) forming a financial reserve for future possible needs. The foundation also makes donations to charitable causes.
Governance of Inter IKEA Group
Interogo Foundation was established to secure the continuance and the best possible future for the IKEA Concept. The governance of Inter IKEA Group is ultimately guided by the purpose of the Interogo Foundation, as expressed in its statutes.
In this manner the IKEA Concept will remain under the control of one single entity irrespective of changes related to individuals and family relationships.
Interogo Foundation holds 100 per cent of the shares in Inter IKEA Holding SA and appoints the Board of Directors of Inter IKEA Holding SA at the Annual General Meeting.
Self Governance of the Foundation
Interogo Foundation is administered by a Foundation Council (Stiftungsrat) which manages the foundation’s assets and represents the foundation towards third parties. The council has two members: Dr. Herbert Oberhuber and Dr. Johannes Burger, partners of the Marxer & Partner firm in Vaduz, Liechtenstein.
The Council is supervised and controlled by a Supervisory Board (Beirat). Members of the Supervisory Board are Ingvar Kamprad, Mathias Kamprad, Dr. Alfred Wiederkehr, Per Ludvigsson, Hans Gydell, and Dr. Urs Wickihalder.
If a member for any reason leaves the Supervisory Board, Ingvar Kamprad will appoint the successor.
When Ingvar Kamprad decides to retire from his duties or passes away the same structure will be in place to govern in the future. Three seats in the Supervisory Board are reserved for the founding family and four seats for non-family members.
Upon Ingvar Kamprad leaving the Supervisory Board each outgoing member appoints his/her successor. However, such an appointment can eventually be vetoed by the representatives of the founding family. The family members appoint their own successors.
As the foundation is intended to exist for an unlimited period of time and external conditions could change, the statutes includes regulation of how changes if needed could be adopted in the structure or organisation of the foundation. The aim with this organisational flexibility is to secure the foundations ability to live up to the purpose even if external condition or context would be changed. The purposes however cannot be changed.