Welcome to Tampa, Monica!!!

19 Year IKEA Veteran to Lead Ybor City-Area Store Opening Summer 2009 as 3rd in Florida

IKEA, the world's leading home furnishings retailer, today announced the appointment of Monica Varela as store manager for its future store on track to open Summer 2009 in Tampa, FL.

"Monica's retail store experience with IKEA, as well as her product life-cycle management expertise, has prepared her for managing this store in Tampa."

"IKEA recognizes the strong customer base for us in the Tampa Bay area, so I am pleased about providing these 100,000 customers with a store of their own," Varela said. "Also, I look forward to introducing new customers to our unique family-friendly shopping experience and wide selection of stylish, functional and affordable home furnishings."

Varela, who relocated to the Tampa area from South Florida, started at IKEA after working at several department store chains. A native of Havana who grew up in Barcelona and Philadelphia, Varela joined IKEA in 1989 as U.S. sales manager responsible for textiles. In 1997, she moved to France to be a commercial/supply manager within the IKEA Distribution Services team. Two years later, Varela joined IKEA Spain as the country sales leader, and then as assistant store manger for sales at a Madrid-area IKEA store. In 2004, Varela returned to the U.S. as assistant store manager for sales at IKEA Elizabeth (NJ) near New York City. Three years later, Varela was named deputy store manager at IKEA Sunrise (FL) where she served until now becoming store manager of IKEA Tampa.

Photo courtesy of the St. Pete Times.

TBO Article: Tampa Ikea May Begin Hiring In January, Store Says

Article and Photo Courtesy of TBO

By Michael Sasso, The Tampa Tribune

December 9, 2008

"Ikea, the mammoth furniture retailer known for Swedish designs and Swedish meatballs, may begin recruiting workers by January. 

An Ikea representative gave media tours today of the showroom under construction on Adamo Drive just south of Ybor City. The store will be the company's largest in Florida at 353,000 square feet, about 40,000 square feet larger than Ikea's Orlando store and 60,000 square feet larger than its Sunrise store, said Ikea U.S. public affairs director Joseph Roth. 

Recently, the company finished interviews with job candidates for roughly 50 open management positions at the store, most of which will be filled by local candidates. The company also has hired a store manager, 19-year Ikea veteran Monica Varela, who most recently helped open the company's new South Florida store. 

Ikea's Tampa store will employ about 400 people, and the company expects to begin recruiting for nonmanagement positions in January. Roth would not reveal the company's pay scale. 

Construction is on schedule for the store to open in the summer, although the company doesn't have a date."