Early Life
Karl-Johan Persson was born on March 25, 1975, in Stockholm, Sweden. He is the grandson of Erling Persson, the founder of H&M. Persson attended the European Business School in London from 1996 to 2002, where he majored in Business and Economics and received a Bachelor of Arts/Science.
Rise to Success
In 2001, Persson acquired an events management business, European Network, and served as its CEO until 2004. He successfully sold the company in 2007. In 2005, Persson joined H&M in an operational role and quickly ascended through the ranks. In 2009, he was appointed CEO of H&M. He held the CEO position until 2020 when he handed over the role and was elected Chair of the H&M board in May 2020.
Key Business Strategies
As CEO, Persson led H&M through significant expansion and strategic initiatives. He focused on expanding the company's international presence and online sales. He also spearheaded campaigns to be more inclusive, such as featuring a plus-size model in a swimsuit collection. Persson is also an active investor in unlisted Nordic tech companies.
Philanthropy
Persson is known for his contributions to various charitable organizations and initiatives. H&M has an established foundation, the H&M Foundation, which was established in 2014 to fund projects focused on humanitarian and environmental issues within the fashion industry.
