Sweden Re:Designs the Future

More than 20 years of retail experience from various commercial roles at IKEA, ie as Sales manager Poland and Commercial Director for Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Since 2021 leading the food transformation and sustainability functions at the IKEA franchisee in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Michelle Brits represents Bolon in Hong Kong, bringing Swedish design and circular thinking to the region’s built environment.

With a background in retail buying and a deep appreciation for design, she combines commercial insight with a passion for materials that last. She works closely with architects, designers, and developers to specify flooring that performs, looks beautiful, and contributes to green building certifications like BEAM Plus, LEED, and WELL.

Bolon’s floors are made from 68% recycled content and are 100% recyclable – designed for longevity in high-traffic commercial spaces. Michelle is committed to showing that sustainability and great design aren’t trade-offs. They’re the same thing.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

• My fantasy goal is for the HK government to legislate sustainability within the construction industry/ built environment.
• I’d love to see more electric commercial vehicles on the roads.
• And a personal goal is to reduce food waste. As a single person, I waste a lot of foods that go off since i can’t eat 10 carrots fast enough

Lisa Jakobsson is Global Sales and Marketing Manager at Circalle, the Swedish design company formerly known as Green Furniture Concept. She works with architects, designers and partners worldwide to create more human, sustainable and long-lasting public spaces.

At ReThink Hong Kong, Lisa will share how Scandinavian design principles can support a more circular built environment. Drawing on experience from airports, transport hubs, retail environments and other high-traffic spaces, she will explore how modularity, repairability, material efficiency and long product lifecycles can reduce environmental impact while improving the experience of a place. Her focus is on turning circular ambitions into practical, commercially viable action.

My Sustainability Goals for 2026:

The changes I hope to see in Hong Kong are:

• Circularity becoming standard practice
• More projects designed for longevity, repair, reuse and future adaptation, rather than short-term replacement.
• More human-centred public spaces
• Airports, transport hubs, retail environments and other shared spaces that support wellbeing, comfort and a stronger sense of place.
• Stronger collaboration across the value chain
• Closer cooperation between architects, designers, developers, operators and manufacturers to turn sustainability ambitions into practical and commercially viable solutions.