Fran Horowitz

Fran Horowitz has pulled off one of the most sweeping company transformations in modern retail history. When she became CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch in 2017, the Abercrombie brand mostly came up in conversation as a cautionary tale—how years of exclusionary marketing led to declining relevance (and financial performance). Eight years later, the company behind both the Abercrombie and Hollister brands crossed $5 billion in sales for the first time, hitting 13 consecutive quarters of net sales growth by the end of 2025. The turnaround rests on a deliberate rebuild: Horowitz overhauled product, culture, and operations from the ground up, with input from sales associates who are on the floor with customers, “inspect[ing] every single function and creat[ing] a very different model.” Now she faces the harder task of sustaining it: While Abercrombie’s turnaround for a while led to a soaring stock price, shares have fallen roughly 40% over the past 12 months thanks to tariff headwinds, margin pressure, and a more price-conscious consumer. Hollister remained a bright spot, posting 15% net sales growth for 2025. The National Retail Federation named Horowitz its Visionary 2026 honoree, one of retail’s highest individual honors, citing her transformation of A&F into a customer-centric growth engine that has outperformed the broader apparel sector for four straight years.