Founder Profile
Erling Persson
Last reviewed: October 2026 · By Swet Parvadiya
Who is Erling Persson?
Erling Persson is a founder of H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB, which was founded in 1947.
- Company founded
- H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB
- Founded
- 1947
Background
Swedish entrepreneur.
Founding Story
Erling Persson founded Hennes (Swedish for 'Hers') in 1947 after a road trip across the United States. He was deeply inspired by the high-volume, low-margin retail model of American department stores like Macy's. He brought this aggressive, volume-driven strategy back to Sweden, completely democratizing fashion in post-war Europe before acquiring hunting apparel retailer Mauritz Widforss to add menswear to the brand.
Erling Persson was born in 1917 in Borlänge.
Persson was born on January 21, 1917 and died on October 28, 2002. The idea came from a trip to the United States after the Second World War, where the efficient, high-volume stores impressed him. He opened the first shop in Vasteras in 1947, selling women's clothing under the name Hennes, Swedish for "hers".