Helena Helmersson Explained

Helena Helmersson
Birth Name:Helena Helmersson
Birth Place:Skellefteå, Sweden
Occupation:Business executive
Chief executive, H&M
Term:2020–2024
Predecessor:Karl-Johan Persson
Successor:Daniel Ervér
Children:2

Helena Helmersson (born October 1973)[1] is a Swedish former business executive. From 2010 to 2020, she was head of sustainability at the Swedish retail clothing company H&M,[2] and from 2020 to 2024 she was its CEO.[3]

Early life

Helmersson was born in Skellefteå in the north of Sweden along with her parents and two sisters. She graduated with a master's degree in international business administration from the Umeå School of Business and Economics in 1997.

Career

Helmersson joined joined H&M in 1997. She became a section manager in the buying office before she went to Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2007 where she was H&M's production manager. After a further period serving as their department manager for underwear production in Hong Kong.

In 2010 when she returned to Stockholm to be manager for social responsibility and supply.[4] [5] Helmersson's responsibilities covered the improvement of the social and environmental sustainability of supply, contributing to H&M's sustainability strategy which was initially implemented in the 1990s.[6]

She was appointed CEO of H&M on 30 January, 2020. During her tenure H&M faced financial challenges due to the Covid pandemic[7] and losses from disinvesting in Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian war as well as global supply chain difficulties and costs.[8]

On 31 January 2024, it was announced that Helmersson would be replaced as CEO of H&M by Daniel Ervér.[9] [10]

In June 2024, Henderson joined the board of Quizrr, a Swedish digital training platform company founded by her husband.[11]

Recognition

In March 2014, Helmersson was listed as Sweden's "Most Powerful Woman in Business" by the weekly business magazine Veckans Affärer.

In 2019, she received the "Influential Leader" recognition from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) for influencing the way corporations view sustainability.[12]

Helmersson was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Faculty of Social Sciences at Umeå University in 2020 for her commitment to sustainability issues.[13] [14]

She was ranked 41st on Fortune list of Most Powerful Women in 2023.[15]

Personal life

Helmersson is married and has two children.[16] She lives in Danderyd Municipality.[17]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Lindholm . Maria . 27 August 2020 . H&M:s vd fick en mardrömsstart: "Vi behöver ta större kliv" . H&M's CEO had a nightmare start: "We need to take bigger steps" . Dagens industri . sv.
  2. Web site: Alumna from Umeå University is named most powerful woman in business. Umeå University. 11 September 2015. 5 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011542/http://www.umu.se/english/about-umu/news-events/news/newsdetailpage/alumna-from-umea-university-is-named-most-powerful-woman-in-business.cid231372. dead.
  3. Web site: Stefan Persson lämnar som styrelseordförande i H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB vid årsstämman och föreslår att Karl-Johan Persson efterträder honom. Helena Helmersson har utsetts till ny vd. 2020-01-30. https://web.archive.org/web/20200130071920/https://hmgroup.com/media/news-sv/financial-reports/2020/1/3552421.html. 2020-01-30. sv.
  4. Web site: Helena Helmersson: Chief Sustainability Officer, H&M. Business of Fashion. 11 September 2015.
  5. Web site: Speaker: Helena Helmersson. BSR. 11 September 2015 .
  6. Web site: Helena Helmersson: Head of Sustainability – H&M. Nordic Fashion Association. 12 September 2015. 4 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080413/http://www.nordicfashionassociation.com/speaker/398. dead.
  7. Web site: FT. H&M suffers steep loss as pandemic hits sales.
  8. Web site: FT. H&M profits tumble after Russia exit and soaring costs.
  9. Web site: H&M chief quits as fashion chain struggles to lift profits. 31 January 2023. Richard Milne.
  10. Web site: H&M Replaces CEO With Immediate Effect As Sales And Stock Slump. 30 January 2020. Forbes. 31 January 2024 .
  11. News: Helena Helmersson hoppar på styrelseuppdrag . Helena Helmersson jumps at a board position . 11 June 2024 . Dagens industri . sv.
  12. Web site: Helena Helmersson 2019 AACSB Influential Leader . 2024-02-02 . www.aacsb.edu . en.
  13. Web site: Edlund . Roland . 18 June 2020 . HM:s vd utsedd till hedersdoktor vid Umeå universitet . HM's CEO appointed honorary doctorate at Umeå University . Västerbottens-Kuriren . sv.
  14. Web site: Stoianov . Eva . 18 June 2020 . Hållbarhetskämpe blir hedersdoktor . Sustainability fighter becomes an honorary doctor . Umeå University . sv.
  15. Web site: Most Powerful Women . . en.
  16. News: Armstrong . Lisa . 14 November 2020 . H&M's new boss on fashion in 2020: 'We could emerge from this stronger' . The Daily Telegraph.
  17. News: Weimer . Niklas . 30 January 2020 . Rutinerad och inflytelserik – det här är H&M:s nya vd . Seasoned and influential – this is H&M's new CEO . Dagens Nyheter . sv.

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