Ellen Svanström

Observer
DISC Type : ic

Group CDIO Chief Digital Information Officer / Group CIO at H&M Group

Greater Stockholm Metropolitan Area, Sweden

Overview

As the Chief Digital and Information Officer at H&M Group, Ellen Svanström has been leading one of fashions most ambitious retail-tech transformations. In early 2026, she announced her decision to leave the company after a decade-long tenure that included heading Group Strategy and Business Ventures. Her background includes leadership roles at IBM.

Ellen is a passionate advocate for mentorship and fostering inclusive communities, actively participating in events supporting women in tech. She champions innovation, creativity, and an entrepreneurial spirit, and shows a keen interest in changemakers who are working to create a more sustainable future for the fashion industry.

In 2025, she was featured on the Glossy 50 list as one of "The Accelerators" for her impactful work in advancing H&Ms technology agenda.

Personality Overview

Value Driven

Example Seeker

Curious

They can sound friendly and charming but can quickly change gears to become inquisitive and probing.  They are likely to ask many questions and look heavily for supporting information. They are generally good communicators and can be hard to convince.

Topics They Care About

Retail Digitalization
Leads initiatives to create 'smart stores' using RFID, AI, and real-time data to merge the physical and digital customer experience, making stores operate with the insight of a website.
Creative AI
Views AI as a tool to augment human creativity rather than replace it, using it to enhance design feedback loops and dynamic styling algorithms.
Women in Tech
Actively engages with and supports communities for women in technology, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, which has been valuable in her own career.

Media Appearances

Updates to H&M Group Executive Management Team. Featured in H&M Group

See Now

Work History

2-2023
Group CDIO Chief Digital Information Officer / Group CIO at H&M Group
10-2020 - 1-2023
Head of Business Ventures at H&M Group
4-2018 - 10-2020
Head of Group Strategy at H&M Group
8-2016 - 4-2018
Group Business Development and Innovation at H&M Group
10-2015 - 8-2016
Strategic Advisor at Novandi Strategy

Education

2012 - 2012
IBM Executive Program from Questrom School of Business, Boston University
2011 - 2011
Leadership Program from Ruter Dam

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 30 Location : Greater Stockholm Metropolitan Area, Sweden Job Level : Leadership Designation : Group CDIO Chief Digital Information Officer / Group CIO at H&M Group
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Insights For Selling To Ellen

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Ask them questions to understand their needs better while staying affable
  • Share testimonials from known people and give multiple examples of product value
  • Build rapport, it will come handy to handle hard questions later

DONT's

  • Avoid making offhand commitments
  • Don’t be too objective but make sure to pad your storytelling with data points
  • Don’t rely excessively on your relationship with them to win the deal

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ellen is

  • Proven value, strong testimonials are important to them, relationships will have some weightage.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ellen

  • They are practical and friendly, don't expect a clear-cut response often.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ellen move?

  • They like to perform full analysis and can take time to make any decision.
  • Can Ellen take some risk or not?

  • They evaluate their decisions systematically and are less likely to take risks.

You And Ellen

Personality Compatibility


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