IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad has resigned from all official duties relating to the RTA furniture manufacturer and retail giant, including the company's board.

He had been relinquishing control of the company for the past decade, most recently appointing his youngest son Mathias as the new chairman of the board of Inter IKEA Holding SA. Kamprad's older sons, Jonas and Peter, also have board roles within IKEA's group of companies, Inter IKEA and Stichting INGKA. In related news, Lars-Johan Jarnheimer will take over as the new chairman of IKEA Group in January 2015, replacing Goran Grosskopf.  Grosskopf will assume the role as chairman of the IKEA owner foundation Stichting INGKA Foundation, and its two related groups: the charitable Stichting IKEA Foundation and Stichting IMAS Foundation, which handles the management of the company's financial assets.

It is the first time in more than 70 years that Kamprad has not held an active role in the company, though he will continue as a senior adviser to the Supervisory board. Kamprad founded IKEA in Sweden in 1943. The IKEA Group includes more than 300 stores in 26 countries. The company's manufacturing arm, IKEA Industry, formerly Swedwood and Swedspan, has approximately 44 production facilities in 11 countries for the manufacture of products, including residential and home office furniture as well as home organization products.