Stories
Olvir Sveinsson from IKEA Iceland about Partnership
25+ years of collaboration with K3 Global Accounts
When Ölvir looks back at the long relationship between IKEA Iceland and Global Accounts, one thing stands out above everything else: the importance of direct, human connection. “If the checkout line is down, I need someone to pick up the phone who truly knows what’s going on.” For him, that simple reliability has always been the heart of the partnership.
The collaboration with K3 began long before he joined in 2008. “When I started, you were already there,” he recalls. “We knew K3 from the Landsteiner days. It was a small but energetic team, people flying all over the world, working 18 hour days, getting things done.”
He describes those early years as the ‘go go phase’: fast, flexible, hands on, and refreshingly low on bureaucracy.
But as K3 grew, new structures, new vision, he witnessed the shift: more rules, more contracts, more politics. “That almost killed K3,” he says bluntly. “People forgot that what customers really need is service, not paperwork.”
Still, he’s very clear about how much has changed for the better. The recent “reinvention” of K3 Global Accounts under XBSG has brought back what he values most: responsiveness, expertise, and the ability to reach the right person when it really matters.
“The difference is simple: today, the phone gets answered again. And that changes everything.”
About the projects from the past few years, he is straightforward: “Everything we did after the reinvention was smooth. Clear expectations, fast responses, no issues.”
Looking ahead, he sees opportunities and challenges. With major projects on the horizon, success will require the same mentality that built K3 in the early days: hard work, agility, and the discipline to avoid slipping back into bureaucracy.
“If people are willing to put in the hours when needed, K3 will grow again. But if bureaucracy takes over and no one wants to answer the phone after 4 p.m., it’ll go the same way as before.”
When the conversation shifts to AI, he smiles. For him, it’s “a glorified text machine”, but one that can change everything. “If I can ask AI to write me an Excel type program in minutes… why would I buy it from Microsoft?” Development, he says, will never be the same. Our roles will change, but the service in the end is still human.
Although his responsibilities today focus solely on IKEA Iceland, the connection remains strong. And he shares one clear wish: to bring the retailer community back together again.
“A proper retailer conference, like the old days , that’s something I’d love to see return.”
When Ölvir looks back at the long relationship between IKEA Iceland and Global Accounts, one thing stands out above everything else: the importance of direct, human connection. “If the checkout line is down, I need someone to pick up the phone who truly knows what’s going on.” For him, that simple reliability has always been the heart of the partnership.
The collaboration with K3 began long before he joined in 2008. “When I started, you were already there,” he recalls. “We knew K3 from the Landsteiner days. It was a small but energetic team, people flying all over the world, working 18 hour days, getting things done.”
He describes those early years as the ‘go go phase’: fast, flexible, hands on, and refreshingly low on bureaucracy.
But as K3 grew, new structures, new vision, he witnessed the shift: more rules, more contracts, more politics. “That almost killed K3,” he says bluntly. “People forgot that what customers really need is service, not paperwork.”
Still, he’s very clear about how much has changed for the better. The recent “reinvention” of K3 Global Accounts under XBSG has brought back what he values most: responsiveness, expertise, and the ability to reach the right person when it really matters.
“The difference is simple: today, the phone gets answered again. And that changes everything.”
About the projects from the past few years, he is straightforward: “Everything we did after the reinvention was smooth. Clear expectations, fast responses, no issues.”
Looking ahead, he sees opportunities and challenges. With major projects on the horizon, success will require the same mentality that built K3 in the early days: hard work, agility, and the discipline to avoid slipping back into bureaucracy.
“If people are willing to put in the hours when needed, K3 will grow again. But if bureaucracy takes over and no one wants to answer the phone after 4 p.m., it’ll go the same way as before.”
When the conversation shifts to AI, he smiles. For him, it’s “a glorified text machine”, but one that can change everything. “If I can ask AI to write me an Excel type program in minutes… why would I buy it from Microsoft?” Development, he says, will never be the same. Our roles will change, but the service in the end is still human.
Although his responsibilities today focus solely on IKEA Iceland, the connection remains strong. And he shares one clear wish: to bring the retailer community back together again.
“A proper retailer conference, like the old days , that’s something I’d love to see return.”