Farzin Saber, Global Vice President Digital Project Office at IKEA Group has a story that he’s never told anyone except for his wife and two best friends up until today.

 

Farzin grew up as a refugee child, his childhood and young years were shaped by war, exile, and separation. His life took him from refugee camps in Europe to global boardrooms. Today, he is Vice President at IKEA Global.

 

But this episode is not about titles or success. It is about everything that happens on the way. The pain, loss, fatherhood, unusual events that shape a person’s character and the resilience, and the conscious decision not to let suffering define the rest of your life. In this deeply personal conversation, Farzin speaks openly for the very first time in his life about growing up during the Iranian revolution, leaving his parents behind as a child, life in refugee camps, the search for identity and belonging, losing a daughter, being separated from his son, and what it means to reach the absolute edge and still choose not to give up.

 

This episode is a reminder to all of us that are going through a painful phase right now. A reminder that pain can be inevitable, but suffering is optional. And that no matter how polished a success story looks from the outside, there is often a much deeper human story underneath.

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