THE LEAD ANNOUNCES THE IMPACT 50 LIST OF 2026:
THE INNOVATORS TURNING VISION INTO VELOCITY

 

New York, September 9th, 2026 – The Lead announces The Impact 50 List.

Following the highly distinguished The Direct 60 List of leading brand executives, The Impact 50 List showcases the rising stars, the talented operators who are actively turning strategy into action. The Impact 50 are driving outsized impact for their organizations today, and just as importantly, building the capabilities their companies will depend on next. 

“What struck me most in conversations with the list honorees was how much genuine craft is happening below the C-suite level. These are operators rethinking personalization so it feels like being remembered, not tracked, building AI tools sophisticated enough to earn outside recognition while still insisting they never feel like machines, and doing the unglamorous work, cleaning up data, teaching a system to sound like a brand that’s existed for a century, that actually makes a bigger strategy possible. That’s the throughline across this list: real operators solving real problems, Together, The Direct 60 and The Impact 50 are collectively shaping the future of iconic brands.” said Sonal Gandhi, Chief Content Officer at The Lead.

The 2026 Impact 50 List honorees are:

    • Claire Le Néel, Director, Digital Projects & Innovation, Louis Vuitton
    • Kelley Hanifin, Head of Personalization, Tapestry
    • Noah Gonzalez, Head of Brand PR & Talent Relations, H&M U.S.
    • Ivan Dashkov, Head of Marketing Technology, Puma
    • Myriam Buffa, Sr. Director, CRM, Ecommerce, Clarins Group
    • Scott Kenworthy, Sr. Director, AI & Innovation, PVH
    • Brooke Lieberman, Sr. Director, Lifecycle Marketing & Marketing Technology, David Yurman
    • Emily Campbell, Director, Ecommerce, Dolce Vita
    • Maya Ganguly, Director, Retention Marketing, Authentic Brands Group
    • Stephanie Shui, Global Omni Business Strategy, Customer Experience, Kate Spade New York
    • Max Wallace, Sr. Director, Customer Experience, Tommy John
    • Lynn Canfield, Sr. Director, Digital Marketplaces, Marquee Brands
    • Sandy Kim, Head of Retail, Wacoal America
    • Umair Shabbir, Sr. Director, Digital Technology, Conair
    • Scott Streit, Director, Software Engineering, YETI
    • Ashley Hall, Sr. Director, Integrated Marketing, Every Man Jack
    • Logan Karam, AI Program Director, Fabletics
    • John Wong, Sr. Director, Strategic Partnerships & Merchandising, Kenneth Cole
    • Adrien de Bontin, Director, Omnichannel & Retail Systems, Louis Vuitton
    • Cliff Chang, Director, Digital Marketing, Mackage | APP Group
    • Sarah Townsend, Director, Retention Marketing, rag & bone
    • Vanessa Trejo, Director, Digital Merchandising, GTM & Marketplaces, Timberland
    • Derin Masha, Sr. Director, Global Consumer Engagement, Parlux
    • Isaac Chan, Head of Customer Experience, Vita Coco
    • Marissa Steinmetz, VP, Digital Product, Coterie
    • Cristina Furlan, Director, Business Growth – Eyebuydirect, EssilorLuxottica
    • Ipshita Chakraborty, Director, Data Science & Applied AI, HelloFresh
    • Domonique Brown, Head of Customer Experience, Liquid I.V.
    • Hannah Myers, Director, Marketing, SMAC Entertainment
    • Jonathan Thesing, Director, Data Science & Analytics, Torrid
    • Deepak Chandak, Sr. Director, Product & Innovation, Tapestry
    • Harry Roth, Sr. Director, Ecom, CRO & Customer Journeys, AS Beauty
    • Alec Taitz, Director, Acquisition, Boll & Branch
    • Xavier Vaissiere, Director, Category Insights & Analytics, Colgate-Palmolive
    • Jennifer Cousin-Lewis, Global Director, CRM & Client Development, David Yurman
    • Ada Desmond, Director, Digital Experience & DTC, Hint
    • Natalie Chacin, Director, Ecommerce and Digital Marketing, North America, Marimekko
    • Daniel Washburn, Director, Ecommerce, Pressed Juicery
    • Anneris Halady, Sr. Director, Customer & Market Business Intelligence, PVH
    • Rudy Ribardière, Sr. Ecommerce Director, ba&sh
    • Caitlin Cheung, Global Director, Ecommerce, Frette
    • Hallie Gellman, Head of Commerce Partnerships, NBC News Group
    • Alicia Barreto, Director, CRM & Retention, Bogg
    • Nicole Mandell, Director, Customer Care, Clarins Group
    • Maureen Massry, Sr. Director, Digital Operations, AS Beauty Group
    • Hattie Gilpin, Director, Operations, Wellbel
    • Sofya Penrose, Global Director, CRM, Frette
    • Eric Ford, Director, IT, Holderness & Bourne
    • Chantel Oh, Director, CX, Dolls Kill
    • Kevin Smith, Director, Digital Marketing, Melin

 

The Impact 50 List selectees will be recognized in person at The Impact 50 Forum on October 22nd in New York City. This by-invitation event is a gathering for 100+ director-level brand & retail attendees.

 

ABOUT THE LEAD

The Lead is a media and events company that helps brands compete in an increasingly digital and direct selling environment by introducing future business trends, presenting winning strategies, and connecting brands with the right technologies. The Lead showcases actionable insights across marketing, ecommerce, stores, customer experience and last mile for brands selling direct.

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Press Contact: nisha@the-lead.co