As Global Strategist & Sparring Partner, I'll get your organization future-ready and establish true sustainability - for business, for people, and for the planet.
I know how, I have done it, successfully, many times over.
Peter Thommen - Global Strategist & Sparring Partner
I am a passionate Young Entrepreneur. After a vibrant 30-year «apprenticeship» at IKEA – probably the sustainably most successful global retail company in the world – I am now pursuing my calling and taking my knowledge, my experience, and my passion for the future and for true sustainability to the open market. Now I am the «the Global Strategist» and in my role as Sparring Partner I'll get your organization ready for the future and establish true sustainability - for your business, for people, and for the planet.
Global Strategist
My knowledge and experience aren’t grounded in theoretical textbooks, but in the practical experiences of my long international IKEA career, which included four CFO positions and the role of Managing Director of the globe-spanning Group Shared Services with service centers in Poland, China and the US.
My philosophy is driven by the quest to find a balance between the demands of business and the needs of the co-workers. My leadership style is one of servant leadership. In practice, that means that I work with the team to define goals, I delegate responsibility, and I focus on facilitating, supporting, and developing the people who work with me. Good leadership is not about being the best, good leadership is about making everyone better.
Sparring Partner
After going down the rabbit hole of trying to differentiate among terms like consultant, advisor, coach, and the inconsistent way they are used in Europe and the US, I define myself by what matters to me: the friendly and argumentative quest to find the best way to achieve a defined state or goal – in other words, sparring. The title or contractual relationship I do it under is not as important.
Here I explore in depth what I mean and how I interpret this role.
I already held the role of sparring partner during my years with IKEA. As Head of the Finance Division, I was always part of the strategy process, including facilitating the follow-up process and took my responsibility for a fact-based agenda setting. As an entrepreneur, I continue to serve as a sparring partner on the topic of future viability with a focus on Strategic Foresight, strategy creation and implementation, as well as Finance and Global Business Services (GBS).
Partnerships and memberships
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Peter remains on my own ranking of ‘the best leaders’ for several reasons: broad business strategic mind, professionalism & reliability, example of humanistic values & always being firm in his convictions and actions and all these with his natural humbleness, curiosity and interest in supporting other people.
I have followed Peter from Poland, Japan, Netherland, Russia, Poland and Switzerland. He has during all his assignments shown a huge amount of enthusiasm, professional engagement and loyalty. Some key words that describe Peter well: Thorough, improve, develop, humour, believe, intelligent, loyal and try to keep it all simple. When Peters heart burn for the matter he will do magic!
What really impressed me about Peter was his genuine interest and focus on the people in his global team. He encouraged out of the box, creative and unconventional ways to engage and energize the team which led to unforgettable meetings that built competence, anchored team goals and fuelled team spirit which ultimately led to transformative growth and business achievements. I highly recommend Peter to any organization seeking a partner who will coach in a way that incorporates business and people together.