Business Controlling at H&M

The workshop started with Mehdi Rantala, Global Business Controller at H&M, and Shifaaz Ebrahim, Buisness Controller at H&M, giving a presentation of what it means to work as a business controller at H&M. In particular, the students got insight into the multifaceted elements of the job such as conducting selling analysis and planning buying, all converging towards the overarching objective of business controlling: “Making it possible for everyone to look good and feel good."

Following this, the students got to take on a task requiring them to analyze KPIs to decide what product categories to invest in for next year. Discussions included following trends depicted in the data, finding items that contributed with the highest margins, and looking at the impact of deductions in price. Finishing up, the students undertook a last task to dive into one specific product category and determine the most profitable, least profitable, and most important item. Apart from focusing on the KPIs, the discussions went beyond the numerical dimension to brand image and customer expectations, prompting the question of if it can be worth keeping items for other reasons than pure financial. 

We express our sincere appreciation to Mehdi, Shifaaz, and Carla Silveria, Head of Early Career Programs & Campus Recruitment at H&M Group, for organizing this enriching workshop!

Henrik Hultqvist, Key Account Manager, H&M Retail Club