Diego Teijeiro Ruiz has officially started as chief information officer at H&M Group, following the announcement made in April that he would take on the role.

Ruiz was previously global chief data and analytics officer at Zara-owner Inditex, the world’s largest fast fashion retailer by revenue. He worked at the firm for over 19 years, during which time he oversaw the implementation of new technologies and product development, as well as the organisation’s supply chain, sustainability, and logistics.

Prior to that, he gained experience in cybersecurity at the Spanish insurance firm MAPFRE, and in consultancy at Deloitte.

In its April statement, H&M said: "Diego Teijeiro Ruiz brings extensive experience from the retail industry, most recently from Inditex, where he has held several senior technology and data leadership roles. His background spans areas including product, supply chain, store operations and sustainability, with a strong focus on simplifying complex environments and closely connecting technology to business needs.

"His experience will play an important part as we continue to elevate the shopping experience for customers across channels and strengthen our technology foundation throughout the company.”

Ruiz succeeds Ellen Svanström, who held the title of chief digital information officer (CDIO) at H&M. Svanström – whose departure was announced in February – left her position after almost a decade at the organisation, during which time she oversaw the shift to digital-first shopping triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Up to 80 per cent of H&M’s global stores were shut in 2020 due to lockdown restrictions, necessitating unprecedented reliance on the digital infrastructure that Svanström had built in the preceding four years.

In her time as CDIO, Svanström also spearheaded the launch of H&M’s internal AI toolkit StyleGen and the first use of digital twins of models in product images.

When her departure was announced, H&M stated that Svanström had “decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities”. Svanström, who previously spent more than 15 years at IBM, is yet to announce her next role.

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