Matalan has announced the appointment of Henrik Nordvall, former Managing Director of H&M for the UK and Ireland, as its new Chief Executive Officer. Nordvall will officially join the British value fashion and homeware retailer in February 2026.
Bringing more than 17 years of experience from H&M, Nordvall has held a variety of senior leadership roles across multiple international markets. Most recently, he led H&M’s UK and Ireland division – the brand’s third-largest market – where he oversaw revenues of approximately US $ 1.5 billion.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the new role, Nordvall said he was “delighted to be joining Matalan at such an exciting point in its journey,” noting that the company “continues to deliver everyday style, quality, and value to its customers.” He added that he looked forward to working with the executive team, the board, and employees to “lead the business into its next chapter.”
His appointment follows a period of strong performance for Matalan. In the six months to 30 August 2025, the company reported a 69% rise in pre-IFRS16 EBITDA, reaching approximately US $ 43 million. The growth was driven by margin expansion and disciplined cost management, supported by an ambitious store modernisation programme. Refurbished outlets are currently outperforming the wider store estate by 14%.
Executive Chair Karl-Heinz Holland said the company was “delighted to welcome Henrik” at such a pivotal stage of its transformation. He described Nordvall as “a leader with deep UK apparel retail experience and proven executive capability,” adding that he would “add significant value across all areas of the business and complement Matalan’s existing leadership strength.”
Nordvall’s arrival comes as part of a wider leadership restructure aimed at accelerating Matalan’s strategic transformation. Recent appointments include Jo Bennett as Director of Buying & Design, bringing experience from Tu Clothing and John Lewis; Jon Williams as Director of Trading, Planning, and Merchandising, following senior roles at John Lewis, Tesco, and Primark; Eilidh MacAskill as Director of Marketing, joining from Ocado, Asda, and Monsoon Accessorize; and Andreas Nicolaides as Director of Digital, who will spearhead the retailer’s omnichannel growth strategy.