Does the UN need to be run like a business? Ikea CEO Jesper Brodin may get the chance

Jesper Brodin, chief executive officer of Ingka Holding BV, on the opening day of the new Ikea Oxford Street store in central London, UK, on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Credit: Chris Ratcliffe—Bloomberg/Getty Images)

He brought the world Kallax shelves and Poäng armchairs, but can outgoing Ikea CEO Jesper Brodin help lead the world’s largest refugee organization?

Brodin may have the chance, as the Swedish government announced him as its candidate to become the new United Nations high commissioner for refugees (UNHCR) last Monday. If selected, Brodin’s career pivot would highlight an exceptionally rare trajectory among global CEOs: going from business to a multilateral international organization. The UNHCR, the organization says, protects people forced to flee, delivers emergency aid in crises, and helps displaced people find a place to call home.