Erling Persson (1917 - October 28, 2002) is the founder of H&M (Hennes&Mauritz). He got the idea following a post-WWII trip to the USA as he was very impressed by efficient, high-volume outfits like Macy’s and Barney’s .

In 1968, Erling Persson bought Mauritz Widforss, a hunting and gun store located in Sergelgatan, Stockholm. A stock of men's clothing came with the store, so the company began selling men's and women's clothes and changed its name to Hennes & Mauritz.

In 1982, Erling Persson's son, Stefan Persson took over the position as the Managing Director, and today he is the Chairman of the Board. The Persson family owns about 33% of the company and has a 69% voting right.