Helena Helmersson
Former chief executive of H&M Group and board member
Helena Helmersson is a Swedish executive who spent her career at H&M, rising from the buying office to head of sustainability, chief operating officer and chief executive of H&M Group from January 2020 to early 2024. Since leaving H&M she has taken board roles at On, Mango and the textile recycler Circulose.
| Role | Board member (On, Mango); chair of Circulose |
|---|---|
| Former role | Chief executive of H&M Group, 2020 to 2024 |
| Born | 1973, Skellefteå |
| Joined H&M | 1997 |
| Known for | Sustainability leadership, H&M during the pandemic |
Who is Helena Helmersson?
Helena Helmersson, born in Skellefteå, Sweden, in 1973, is one of the best known executives in global fast fashion. She led H&M Group, one of the world's largest fashion retailers, as chief executive from 30 January 2020 until early 2024, when she was succeeded by Daniel Ervér. Before that she had built her reputation as the company's head of sustainability, making her one of the few chief executives in the sector to come from that function.
Career
Helmersson studied international business administration at Umeå School of Business and Economics and joined H&M in 1997 in the buying office. She worked in production, including as production manager in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and in Hong Kong. Her later positions included:
- From 2010: head of sustainability, a role she held for around five years
- Before 2020: chief operating officer, overseeing expansion, logistics, production, IT and analytics
- January 2020 to 2024: chief executive of H&M Group
- 2023: co-chair of The Fashion Pact, succeeding François-Henri Pinault
- 2024 onwards: board member of Quizrr and chair of Circulose
- 2025: board member of On Holding and Mango
Her appointment as chief executive was announced alongside Karl-Johan Persson's move from chief executive to chairman. She took over weeks before the Covid-19 pandemic forced the temporary closure of much of H&M's store estate.
Influence on the fashion business
As head of sustainability, Helmersson was a visible voice on supply chain transparency and environmental targets at a time when fast fashion faced growing scrutiny. As chief executive she steered H&M through the pandemic and a period of cost pressure, inventory challenges and investment in the group's logistics and digital capabilities. Her move into board roles at On and Mango has made her one of a small group of executives sitting on boards of competing fashion and sportswear companies.
Speaking at World Retail Congress in 2025, she urged industry professionals to refocus on sustainability after what she described as a period of hype, according to FashionUnited.
Helena Helmersson and technology
As chief operating officer before her appointment as chief executive, Helmersson was responsible for H&M's IT and analytics alongside production and logistics. Her post H&M work includes Circulose, a company focused on textile to textile recycling, and Quizrr, a Swedish digital training platform for supply chain workers.
Why it matters
Helmersson's career shows how sustainability and operations expertise became a route to the top of a global fashion retailer. Her current board portfolio, spanning sportswear, Spanish fashion retail and recycled fibres, makes her a well connected figure in European fashion governance.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Helena Helmersson?
Helena Helmersson is a Swedish executive who was chief executive of H&M Group from January 2020 to early 2024. She joined H&M in 1997 and was previously its head of sustainability and chief operating officer.
What is Helena Helmersson doing now?
Since leaving H&M she has become chair of the textile recycling company Circulose and joined the boards of Quizrr, On Holding and Mango, the latter two in 2025.