H&M's Head of Innovation Jo Hickson talks one year anniversary and 'rollercoaster of experience and emotion'

Jo Hickson, Head of Innovation at H&M Group, has taken to social media to discuss her first year at the Swedish multinational fashion retailer.

She was speaking as she made it on to the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List.

In a LinkedIn post, she said: "I'm humbled once again to be selected in the 2025 list of the top 100 retail influencers by Retail Technology Innovation Hub. I love the world of retail, and having headed innovation at Argos/Home Retail Group, followed by five years leading innovation at Tesco, I am now learning a the business of fashion at H&M Group in Stockholm. I have been a fan of the H&M brand since a teenager, and more latterly the other portfolio brands such as Cos and Arket, so this was a golden opportunity I felt I had to take."

Hickson added: "As I am approaching my one year anniversary of my international move for the role, I thought it is a good moment to reflect and share. Moving to Stockholm has been a rollercoaster of experience and emotion, but I can say on balance it has been a good move.”

“Firstly, it is a great city, a blend of impressive architecture, capital city buzz, calm waters and nature. We live in an impossibly cute traditional red and white wood house, surrounded by nature, yet 30 minutes reliable tram ride from the city centre. I can't think where I would get all of that in other capital cities. And sorry to my fellow Brits... it might be a little colder here, but it rains far less!!"

She noted that she joined H&M at an exciting time. "There is so much ambition and energy around our direction as a company and this is best seen the fashion collections which have been nothing short of gorgeous. My husband rolls his eyes when I come home with yet another H&M brown paper shopping bag. In my defence, my office is above the store."

"It has not been all plain sailing; the hurdles of finding a good home where there are very few houses for rent, and getting set up legally in Sweden as a citizen was complex - Sweden is highly digital, so it is essential to do almost anything. And of course it takes time to understand company culture and how things get done, plus navigating lots of change. I am still on a learning journey there, well supported by the super-smart people in my team."

Hickson concluded: "Thank you Scott (Thompson, Editor and Founder) and the team at Retail Technology Innovation Hub for this acknowledgement. 2025 will be a shift from learning a new industry and business and laying new foundations for innovation at H&M, to moving forward with impactful innovation, collaborating with brilliant teams and organisations. I can't wait."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Fashion retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which will open for entries in March, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.