MIA MOEGELGAARD

Down a side street off Støget in the shopping district of Copenhagen, I met up with Mia Moegelgaard, an insider at the behemoth fashion retailer, H&M.  Over coffee we discussed fast-fashion, her role in transforming the trade and the importance of the individual within the organization to effect change.

Working in PR and communications for H&M Denmark, Moegelgaard's focus is on the implementation and promotion of directions for the company that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable.  She is a drive behind H&M Conscious which strives to not only create garments in an ethical way, but also to be "climate smart", strengthen communities and choose responsible partners.

Moegelgaard's latest project was to launch a global initiative called Garment Collecting;  with an impetus to reduce, reuse and recycle, H&M is encouraging customers to drop off unwanted clothes in any condition and of any brand for repurposing.  The hope is to create a closed loop on textile fibres and relieve the strain on natural resources by manufacturing new clothes from reclaimed goods. Customers are offered further encouragement with a $5 gift card per bag of clothes they bring in.

I was interested to learn what brought Moegelgaard to a career that perfectly suits her analytical mind and knack for people.  With an interest in the relationships between social studies and commerce, Moegelgaard studied psychology and business at the Copenhagen Business School, completing a Bachelor and Masters degree.  While at school she became interested in group dynamics and how a strong team results in happy and successful work environments.

She followed her studies by organizing and participating in case competitions.  During these events, problems would be studied by specially selected groups for intensive 24 hours periods with solutions being offered to a panel of CEO's of major Danish companies.  It was in fact a case study for H&M that landed her current position.  It's clear that her natural talents, passions and interests have aligned to  bring her fulfillment in her chosen job, as well as making real progress in changing our world for the better.