The Leadership Driving Fossil Group's Turnaround: A Chat With Brand Chief Melissa Lowenkron
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Co-Founder Melissa Campanelli interviews Melissa Lowenkron, chief brand officer at Fossil Group, a global design, marketing, distribution and innovation company with a diverse portfolio of brands specializing in lifestyle accessories. Listen in as they discuss how brands can grow during times of change. Lowenkron says her merchandising background taught her to balance creativity with financial discipline (1:55). She points to Fossil’s Big Tic relaunch as an example, using Y2K-inspired archival reissues to generate excitement while expanding the movement into core lines to drive sales (2:50). Lowenkron shares how stepping into a chief brand role requires a mindset shift to singular brand focus and global consistency while also adapting to regional nuances (4:45).
Additionally, Lowenkron discusses how she leads the authentic storytelling that’s key to Fossil’s turnaround (8:00), as well as how she’s evolving the brand’s accessible-yet-aspirational DNA through heritage, innovation, and a forthcoming premium signature collection (11:35). She shares how she aligns cross-functional teams around a clear, brand-led vision (14:10), as well as evolved her leadership style to trust functional experts and lead with empathy (15:25). Lowenkron emphasizes supporting teams during periods of change (16:35) and identifies what turnaround success looks like for Fossil Group (18:45). Lastly, she shares advice for leaders driving business transformations (20:20).
Melissa B. Lowenkron has served as chief brand officer of Fossil Group since March 2023, overseeing brand strategy, management, product design, development, merchandising and marketing for the company’s namesake brand, FOSSIL. Since joining the company in January 2022 as senior vice president and general manager of the FOSSIL brand, she has played a key role in the brand’s transformation by evolving its creative vision and strengthening its cultural relevance globally.
Prior to joining Fossil Group, Lowenkron spent more than two decades at Neiman Marcus Group, where she held several senior merchandising leadership roles across both Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Most recently, she served as senior vice president and general merchandising manager overseeing women’s handbags, shoes, beauty and jewelry at Neiman Marcus. Earlier in her career, she also led merchandising across Women’s RTW, handbags, ladies shoes, jewelry, beauty, men’s and children’s at Bergdorf Goodman, and held multiple leadership positions during her longstanding tenure with the organization. Lowenkron also serves on the boards of the FOSSIL Foundation and the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, reflecting her commitment to community impact, education and human rights advocacy.
Date: May 12, 2026
Credits: Melissa Lowenkron
Duration: 22:39
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