Denise Donghee Yeom

A retail and sourcing leader who turns stagnant categories and fragmented supply structures into scalable, revenue-generating business models. Retail and sourcing professional with 30+ years of experience spanning three global and domestic retail leaders — Walmart, Lotte Shopping, and IKEA. Built a 17-year foundation in global sourcing and merchandising at Walmart, deepened Korean retail and private-brand expertise at Lotte Shopping, and delivered value across indirect purchasing, new-business development, supplier quality & compliance, and home-furnishing product development over a decade-plus at IKEA.

Proven ability to develop market-relevant ranges, drive cost savings, build supplier networks, and turn local market insight into commercial results across international matrix organizations.

IKEA Korea Service Office Selling Core Area Manager at IKEA (2021-10 – Present)

Lead the Core Area team with an umbrella view across Home Furnishing Business Areas (HFBs), driving sales and securing peak performance. Set direction based on deep understanding of local consumer and range needs, using life-at-home insight as the base. Define the core-area strategy with business leaders and enable execution across all channels; steer the national offline-store range dimensions.

Partner with Range & Supply at IKEA of Sweden, feeding local knowledge into market-relevant product development, and embed sustainability priorities across the offer.

• Built and executed the business case for kitchen stock centralization — consolidating scattered stock into one store and redesigning inventory operations for a better customer buying journey (first change to the model in 10 years).
• Launched the kitchen online library, letting customers browse style groups and price levels before choosing.
• Led the IKEA concept exemption that enabled the LG Best Shop × IKEA Korea collaboration — resulting in LG Best Shop shop-in-shops now operating inside 2 IKEA stores.

IKEA Korea Service Office Quality Manager at IKEA (2019-10 – 2021-10)

Led the team responsible for product quality, compliance, and returns handling across IKEA Korea stores. Directed reporting of in-store product quality issues to IKEA of Sweden and drove corrective actions with the global range and supplier organization to improve product quality. Oversaw follow-up and resolution of product compliance issues to keep the range aligned with IKEA standards.

Managed the customer-returns process, including reconditioning and re-selling returned goods to recover value and reduce waste.

• Analyzed customer return-rate drivers and built category-specific action plans; launched an on/offline customer-communication project to improve customers’ understanding of IKEA products — reducing the customer return rate by 10%.
• Led the first launch of the IKEA Buyback program in Korea within IKEA Asia Pacific (AP).

IKEA Korea Service Office HFB Business Leader, Korea — Cooking, Eating & Free Range at IKEA (2017-10 – 2019-09)

Drove long-term growth through commercial offer, sales techniques, and activities across all channels; steered range, dimensioning, and price ladder to meet customer needs. Owned sales planning and forecasting for the HFBs; steered sales and gross margin across channels to plan and reacted to deviations. Developed local commercial solutions and coached store co-workers across the market to build selling competence.

• Led an Asia-Pacific business case developing 200 market-relevant articles with 9 AP countries — driving many to IKEA Global / AP mandatory or optional status (e.g., small IKEA 365+ glass containers, earthenware pots, rice & soup bowls, half-size apron, dish drainer, chopsticks, spoon-only flatware, stew ladle, soy-sauce bottle, Scandinavian-pattern mugs).
• Delivered HFB 14 & 15 growth indices of +134 and +138 vs. last year in FY18.
• Grew IKEA Korea Free Range share from 3.3% to 6.8%, closing the gap to target.

IKEA Purchasing & Logistics, East Asia - New Business Developer at IKEA (2015-10 – 2017-09)

Identified, acted on, and developed market opportunities and market knowledge, materializing them for IKEA through new business and home-furnishing innovation. Contributed structured market intelligence on existing and new sourcing markets as input into the ONE IKEA business plan; started up new suppliers, materials, and technologies through supplier evaluation (product compliance, IWAY, quality, and financial due diligence).

• Delivered South Korea industry market intelligence by business segmentation and identified priority opportunity areas.
• Mapped the Korean elastic-fiber and recycled-polyester manufacturing industries as input for new sourcing opportunities.
• Led the end-to-end launch of made-in-Korea cooktops and hoods for IKEA Korea — owning the full supplier evaluation process, product development and supplier selection, and market launch as project leader.
• Identified innovative, sustainable materials and products for categories — paper leather, coffee-waste board, charger-free rechargeable batteries, and non-drill non-slip pipe clamps.

IKEA Indirect Material & Services (IMS) - Country Purchase Manager at IKEA (2013-09 – 2015-10)

Created the purchasing and supply strategy for indirect materials and services supporting IKEA store operations in South Korea; led purchasing processes, policies, and routines and developed purchasing competence across the organization. Analyzed organizational spend, prioritized needs for best return on investment, and owned South Korea's contribution to IMS goals, KPIs, and stakeholder satisfaction.

• Completed 37 purchasing activities across 44 contracts/suppliers, spanning 6 categories (Marketing, IT, Facility Management, Professional Services, Equipment, Food) and 37 service/product areas.
• Managed €7M of addressable spend in FY14 and delivered €1.8M in value contribution through cost savings and avoidance.

Private Brand Manager — Supermarket Division at LOTTE SHOPPING CO., LTD. (2012-01 – 2013-08)

Held end-to-end responsibility for private-brand (PB) product development and management of outsourcing / manufacturing partners across fresh food, grocery, daily-delivery goods, household, and everyday consumables. Built the annual development plan and drove cross-functional communication and follow-up with merchandising teams to deliver the right PB product at the right price, quantity, quality, and packaging. Established the annual PB promotion program (in-store, HQ, and consumer events) and rebuilt the 2012 PB planogram, defining essential vs. optional PB SKUs by in-store category segment.

Completed the 2012 E-Super PB mall improvement project, redesigning the customer path for easier PB selection to drive PB sales; managed annual handled volume of ~US$130M.

Sourcing Manager — Korea Operation (Hardlines) at WALMART GLOBAL SOURCING (2001-11 – 2011-06)

Managed Korea sourcing for hardline categories — Stationery, Health & Beauty, Pets, Sporting Goods, Auto Accessories, Electronics / Home Appliances, Home Décor — plus global indirect procurement of store fixtures and replenishment management.

Senior Merchandiser — Walmart PREL (Hardlines) at WALMART GLOBAL SOURCING (1994-10 – 2001-08)

Senior merchandiser for hardline goods across Health & Beauty, Stationery, Toys, Electronics, and Home Décor, building deep supplier and category expertise across the Korean manufacturing base.

B.A. in Management Information Systems – Kookmin University (1988 – 1992)