Semantic Data Europe 2025

Christelle Maignan is the Lead Ontologist at Inter IKEA Systems B.V., the IKEA franchisor and owner of the IKEA Brand. She oversees the work of the ontologists, knowledge engineers, knowledge modellers, and subject matter experts who are buidling ontologies and taxonomies for the IKEA Knowledge Graph (IKG). 

Christelle brings solid experience in semantic web standards, with a strong background in ontology modelling and knowledge graph architecture. She advocates for ontology and knowledge graph standards, while her ability to communicate complex ideas in simple terms helps engage non-technical stakeholders and secure their buy-in. 

Previously, Christelle was a knowledge engineer/ontologist at Amazon Alexa, where she developed ontological models and helped expand Alexa's question-answering system. At Inter IKEA, Christelle manages the IKG’s core ontology and supports domain ontology projects. She works closely with cross-functional teams to align ontology development with business goals.