At H&M, Boosting Creativity Through Increased Autonomy and Collaboration

Founded in 1947 by Swedish entrepreneur Erling Persson in Västerås, Sweden, H&M — formerly known as Hennes, meaning “hers” in Swedish — began as a womenswear company, opening its first store in Stockholm in 1952. In 1968, the brand merged with Mauritz Widforss, a hunting and fishing equipment company, which signified the diversification of the brand’s product assortment to encompass menswear and kids lines alongside its core collections.

Now a global retail business spanning 77…