As part of our ongoing Spotlight the people series, we speak with Joana Pereira, Real Estate Business Development Leader at Ingka Group, about her journey from lifelong dancer to driving the net zero transition in the company’s own operations as part of its climate targets. She shares how purpose and people have shaped her career – and why representation matters in building a more inclusive, sustainable future.
“Don’t think you’re not able. You can learn along the way.”
When Joana Pereira first saw a job opening at Ingka Group in 2019, she hesitated. “I thought it was too technical,” she recalls. But her curiosity won. Today, Joana leads an important part of the company’s climate targets, helping phase out fossil fuels across its global operations through renewable heating and cooling (RH&C) projects. The work is part of a EUR 1.5 billion investment in Ingka Group’s renewable energy transformation, aligned with its recently published first Net Zero Transition Plan, and complemented by other initiatives that support the ultimate target of becoming net zero.
“Removing fossil fuels isn’t just taking out a boiler and putting in a heat pump,” she explains. “To do it smart, you need to assess everything – energy efficiency, system fit, cost. That’s why we formed a cross-functional energy team so that we can assess head to tail what encompasses our energy efficiency up until you are able to do the right fit,” she says.
Ingka Group Real Estate team is responsible for managing the company’s portfolio across 31 retail markets and 600 properties, from the traditional blue box IKEA store to smaller urban formats, as well as office units, to meeting places (shopping centres). All new units will be built with renewable heating and cooling, and work is under way to retrofit over 150 existing properties by 2030. This includes the new IKEA Oxford Street, following the completion of an extensive environmental upgrade of the Grade II listed building in central London
IKEA Freiburg in Germany is one of the most climate-friendly IKEA stores and undertook a comprehensive sustainability transformation
From Portugal to Sweden, Joana brought her family with her – and found a better balance along the way. “My kids say they have more time with me now. That was one of my goals – to have a more balanced work-life rhythm. That’s a big tick.”
From dancer to architect and beyond
Joana’s path wasn’t typical. She danced her whole life, starting at the age of four and continuing through competitions and teaching until her first child was born. After high school, she pursued a degree in architecture, a field that allowed her to blend creativity with structure.
“I’ve always been torn between an artistic life and numbers,” she shares. “But I wanted to contribute to a bigger purpose.”
A construction downturn nudged her into project management, and she pursued two MBAs – one in urban renewal with focus on public and private partnership and the other in project management. “I then worked optimizing shopping centres for sale. Then I saw an IKEA ad and I think that’s a company which I align, as values resonated”. Joana speaks about the culture shock that sometimes comes with working in construction and recalls an example when she worked as Construction Project Manager.
“A colleague congratulates me on completing a big project ‘as a woman.’ I thought this is so wrong, because I’m a woman you downsize my capability of delivery. I will voice this as many times as I can to say, first, this is not a behavior that is accepted. Second, yes, we can do whatever we set ourselves. Is not about gender, at all.”
Why representation matters – and why it must be visible
Construction and commercial real estate remain male-dominated industries, especially in on-site roles and management roles*. Joana believes one of the biggest challenges is visibility. “It’s like risk management. On site, if a manager doesn’t wear a helmet, it sends the wrong message. It’s the same with gender. When people see women on site or in leadership roles, it sets a standard. It says: you belong here. But we need to strive more than quotas, and there is a fine line there.”
That belief is rooted in her own upbringing. “My biggest role model was my mother. She was an accountant with her own practice, which wasn’t typical back then. Also, she was a director of the football club in our city. These were spaces where it was not so common to see women. That inspired me in that sense and taught me that presence matters.”
But Joana also credits men who have stood alongside her. “My first manager at IKEA truly believed that we are all equal. He listened and acted on challenges and was really into working them out, which is inspiring.” Keeping an eye on the detail is also a lesson learned from her mother. “She used to say, don’t focus on the big numbers – focus on the small ones. Because when you add up all the little ones, they will make a difference. I always bring that with me.”
Building with purpose, not just concrete
For Joana, the real estate function at Ingka is about much more than properties. It’s about people, purpose, and the planet. “Not many people realize the scope of what we do in-house. Engineering, drafting, managing construction sites – we have women in all these roles. Including in unit facility management, which is very specific. Like in any other team is diversity that builds strong teams, being gender one option of it, that brings up different sets of skills and point of views.”
Advice for others: “don’t think you’re not able”
Asked what advice she’d give to others, Joana doesn’t hesitate. “Don’t think you’re not able. You can learn along the way. When I saw the ad for this role, I didn’t apply at first – I thought it was too technical. But if something sparks your curiosity, ask the question. Be open. And transform from within. Make it yours. I started in 2019 as a construction project manager, then moved into leading renewable heating and cooling, and today my scope has expanded to the full net zero agenda.”
And as a mother of three, she’s no stranger to managing competing demands – and learning to let go. “I’m a perfectionist. I like everything in their little place. But then again, I’ve learned with three kids that it is impossible. So that’s the balance. If something falls, that’s fine. Let’s pick it up again.”
“It’s the same with work. How can we still be focused on the goal? I’m learning to enjoy that journey very much and not being so much in control. It is becoming much more about challenging and learning along the way and by practice than stiff plans. I like it very much to grow in that sense.”
Her view of leadership is therefore grounded in collaboration. “Alone, we can accomplish very little. But together – even if it’s just two people – we can create a movement. It’s about finding the right people to work towards a certain goal. And hopefully inspire others to follow.”
* Source: Saint-Gobain Group – https://www.saint-gobain.com/en/news/promoting-diversity-in-construction-sector. According to a FEMCON study, women account for just 9% of the construction sector’s workforce in Europe.
https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/Industries/financial-services/blogs/women-s-progress-in-real-estate.html Women’s representation in Real Estate in the ‘Next Generation’ cohort has slipped from 31.7% since 2016, now at 30.1% of staff in UK.
About Ingka Group
With IKEA retail operations in 31 markets, Ingka Group is the largest IKEA retailer and represents about 90% of IKEA retail sales. It is a strategic partner to develop and innovate the IKEA business and help define common IKEA strategies. Ingka Group owns and operates IKEA sales channels under franchise agreements with Inter IKEA Systems B.V. It has three business areas: IKEA Retail, Ingka Investments and Ingka Centres. Read more on www.Ingka.com
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