Helena Helmersson

Helmersson enters the list this year at No. 4, after being appointed CEO of H&M Group in January on the eve of the pandemic. It’s been a transformative year for the company. The fashion group, which owns labels including Monki and COS alongside megabrand H&M, saw its stores shut as global lockdowns came into force: At one point in the second quarter the group said 80% of its roughly 5,000 stores worldwide were closed. That’s resulted in a loss in the first three quarters this year of about $140 million. But Helmersson has also highlighted the investments the group made pre-pandemic in digital shopping and has stated that sustainability in fashion is more important than ever as she pushes for products made from either sustainable or recycled materials.