Hola Moda hires Martin Isabella to lead H&M's launch in Argentina

Martin Isabella will join as general manager of Hola Moda in Argentina, responsible for launching H&M's operations in the country. The executive confirmed his appointment on LinkedIn, describing the project as the “foundational moment” for the Swedish brand in the Argentinian market.

Hola Moda, a Panamanian-based firm created to operate the H&M franchise in Central America and the Caribbean, is taking on Argentina as its first South American market under this model. H&M announced in April that it will open its first store in the country in 2027 as part of its regional expansion plan. Local media have placed the first store in the Alto Palermo shopping centre in Buenos Aires, although the company has not confirmed this detail.

Isabella's mandate is to build the operation from scratch: build the team; develop the organisation and its capabilities; and establish the local structure. "Now the best part begins: building," wrote the executive, thanking Hola Moda for its confidence in him to lead this new phase.

Isabella comes to the role with over two decades of retail experience. He spent 20 years at the German group Puma, where he held positions of increasing responsibility in Argentina. These roles ranged from country representative and head of retail to business unit and merchandising management. He later moved to Australia as retail director for Puma Oceania. In that role, he managed the brand's direct-to-consumer business, with a network of 27 stores and its e-commerce platform.

Before joining Hola Moda, he served as commercial director for the Argentinian home textiles chain Arredo. There, he led commercial operations in Argentina and Uruguay, integrating retail; e-commerce and marketplaces; wholesale and franchises; and merchandise planning. His career began at IBM Argentina as a business and CRM analyst, followed by a stint at Y-Markets in account management.

H&M's arrival is part of the chain's expansion cycle in Latin America. This expansion began in Mexico in 2012 and has since led the company to operate in markets including Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Peru and Colombia. An expansion into Paraguay is also planned for late 2026.

The launch also coincides with a period of strategic review for the group. In the second quarter, which ended in late May, turnover fell by 3 percent to 54.8 billion Swedish kronor, below analysts' forecasts. At the same time, as the share price has fallen, the founding family has strengthened its control by buying shares worth around 39 million euros through its holding company Ramsbury Invest. There has also been a management reshuffle at the group. H&M appointed Henrik Kroon as its new commercial director and brought in Diego Teijeiro from Inditex as global head of technology.