Ingka Centres appoints Sebastian Hylving as new Managing Director
Ingka Centres today announced the appointment of Sebastian Hylving as its new Managing Director. Sebastian succeeds Cindy Andersen who was recently appointed as Deputy CEO and CFO Ingka Group I IKEA.
Ingka Centres (part of Ingka Group which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments) operates 37 destinations across 14 international markets. Its meeting places serve as growth platforms for more than 2,500 global and local brands and attract more than 300 million visits annually.
Sebastian joined Ingka Centres in 2022 and brings extensive international experience from senior roles in real estate and retail expansion. As Global Expansion & Development Director, he has played a vital role in the growth, development and strengthening of Ingka Centres’ portfolio across Europe, China, India and North America.
Prior to joining Ingka Centres, he served as Property & Expansion Director at Ikano Retail, overseeing the full expansion value chain for IKEA stores, shopping centres and mixeduse assets across Southeast Asia and Mexico. Earlier in his career he held senior development roles across Europe.
Sebastian Hylving, Managing Director, Ingka Centres, said: “Ingka Centres has a unique role in creating destinations that feel meaningful for visitors and valuable for our partners and communities. I’ve seen how strong our meeting places can be when people spend time together, brands thrive, and local life is reflected in everything we do. As I step into this role, my focus is on nurturing that strength - building on what works today while staying curious about how our places can continue to evolve for the many people. I’m looking forward to deepening our collaborations and exploring new ways to support the partners and communities that bring our meeting places to life every day.”
Strong visitation, partner sales, and a community-centric approach
Ingka Centres has seen consistently positive performance, with strong visitation and sales growth, dynamic tenant mixes, digital innovation, new concept development, climate footprint reduction and a community-centric approach.
Visitation across the portfolio grew by 18% last year to 320 million visitors, partner sales rose by 25% to more than €5 billion, and the company has reduced its operational climate footprint by 77% over the past decade.
In China, annual visitation has more than doubled since 2022 supported by several new Livat meeting place openings and increasingly diverse partner offers. In Europe, the acquisitions of Pasing Arcaden in Munich (Germany), Churchill Square in Brighton (UK) and Italie Deux in Paris (France) have further strengthened and added new mixed-use components to the portfolio. In India, major projects in Gurugram and Noida continue to progress, designed as longterm community anchors expected to welcome tens of millions of visitors annually.
Across all its markets, Ingka Centres focuses on creating destinations where great retail, tasty food and beverage, exciting leisure, inspiring experiences, and innovative new concepts come together in meeting places that are welcoming, inclusive, locally relevant and positive contributors to their communities.
More at: ingkacentres.com Press contact: [email protected]
About Ingka Centres
Ingka Centres is part of Ingka Group, which also includes IKEA Retail and Ingka Investments. The company operates 37 meeting places in 14 markets, welcoming more than 320 million visitors each year. Together with IKEA, partners and local communities, Ingka Centres creates destinations where people love to shop, eat, work, play and connect.