Helena Helmersson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Helena Helmersson
Born	Helena Helmersson October 1973 (age 51) Skellefteå, Sweden
Occupation	Business executive
Title	Chief executive, H&M
Term	2020–2024
Predecessor	Karl-Johan Persson
Successor	Daniel Ervér
Children	2

Helena Helmersson (born in October 1973) is a Swedish business leader. She used to be the head of sustainability for the clothing company H&M. Later, she became the CEO of H&M, leading the company from 2020 to 2024.

Early Life and Education

Helena Helmersson grew up in Skellefteå, a town in northern Sweden. She lived there with her parents and two sisters.

In 1997, she finished her studies at the Umeå School of Business and Economics. She earned a master's degree in international business administration. This degree helped her learn how to manage businesses around the world.

Career at H&M

Helena Helmersson started working at H&M in 1997. She began as a section manager in the buying office. This means she helped decide what clothes and items H&M would buy to sell.

Later, in 2007, she moved to Dhaka, Bangladesh. There, she worked as H&M's production manager. She also managed underwear production in Hong Kong.

Focusing on Sustainability

In 2010, Helena returned to Stockholm, Sweden. She became the manager for social responsibility and supply. In this role, she worked to make sure H&M's products were made in a way that was good for people and the planet.

Her job was to improve how H&M sourced its materials. She also made sure that the company's factories were fair to workers. This work was part of H&M's plan to be more sustainable.

Leading H&M as CEO

On January 30, 2020, Helena Helmersson was chosen to be the CEO of H&M. As CEO, she was in charge of the entire company.

During her time as CEO, H&M faced some big challenges. The Covid pandemic made it hard for stores to stay open. The company also had to deal with problems from the Russo-Ukrainian war. This caused H&M to leave Russia, which meant losing money. There were also worldwide problems with getting products where they needed to go.

On January 31, 2024, H&M announced that Daniel Ervér would take over as CEO. Helena shared that leading the company was very demanding for her. She felt it was time to step down from the role.

New Ventures

After leaving H&M, Helena joined the board of Quizrr in June 2024. Quizrr is a Swedish company that creates digital training programs. Her husband founded this company.

In 2025, she was also chosen to join the board of On Holding AG. This company is known for its sports shoes and clothing.

Awards and Recognition

Helena Helmersson has received several awards for her work.

In March 2014, a business magazine called Veckans Affärer named her Sweden's "Most Powerful Woman in Business."

In 2019, she was recognized as an "Influential Leader." This award was given by a group called the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). They praised her for changing how companies think about being sustainable.

Umeå University gave her an honorary doctorate in 2020. This was to honor her strong dedication to making businesses more sustainable.

In 2023, Fortune magazine listed her as 41st on their list of Most Powerful Women.

Personal Life

Helena Helmersson is married and has two children. She lives in Danderyd Municipality, Sweden.