From Transaction to Strategy: Melissa Shelley Höjwall’s vision for HR AI at H&M Group

During our HR Evolution Summit 2026, Melissa Shelley Höjwall shared her vision of digital transformation at H&M Group, where she serves as the Global Head of HR Digitalization. For her, the successful integration of generative AI relies on a precise alchemy between business understanding and the redefinition of human labor. 

Supporting employees today requires much more than simple administrative management. In an increasingly complex professional environment, the ability to break free from transactional and repetitive tasks is becoming a true differentiating factor. This is precisely the vision carried by H&M Group. Melissa Shelley Höjwall perfectly embodies this dynamic where technology must allow HR teams to abandon time-consuming actions to position themselves as true strategic partners.

At H&M Group, the approach is based on a golden rule: understand the real problems on the ground before taking action. The objective is to always gain a fine-tuned understanding of the needs of the business, leaders, and employees in order to identify the friction zones that hinder daily operations. This approach stands in contrast to the trend of wanting to use AI simply for the sake of AI. Solutions must emerge from a genuine operational necessity.

This evolutionary dimension is at the heart of their strategy's DNA. By becoming drivers in technological adoption, HR plays a crucial role in reshaping the jobs of tomorrow. A framework conducive to individual fulfillment naturally pushes organizations to reinvent roles by enriching them with all the skills and actions that cannot be delegated to artificial intelligence.

In a sector undergoing rapid change, this alchemy between technological innovation and business proximity makes it possible to fulfill the primary mission of tomorrow's HR: building work environments where human strategy takes precedence over administrative execution.

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