Sebastian Digrande and Chandhu Nair Elected to Fossil Group Board of Directors; Wendy Schoppert Elected Chair of the Board

New Directors Bring Deep Expertise Across Global Retail, Enterprise Technology, Digital & Omnichannel Commerce

RICHARDSON, Texas, Oct. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fossil Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FOSL) today announced that Sebastian DiGrande and Chandhu Nair were elected to the Board of Directors at the Company’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders held on October 2, 2026. Mr. DiGrande was appointed as a member of the Compensation and Talent Management Committee and Mr. Nair was appointed as a member of the Audit Committee. Wendy Schoppert, who joined the Company’s Board of Directors in May 2025, was elected Chair of the Board of Directors, effective October 2, 2026. The Company’s Board of Directors now consists of seven members, of which six are independent directors.

The two new Directors are seasoned executives with deep expertise in global retail, enterprise technology, digital & omnichannel commerce. The new Directors reflect Fossil Group’s commitment to further advancing its turnaround plan and delivering long-term value to shareholders, customers, associates and partners.

“We are pleased to welcome Sebastian and Chandhu to Fossil Group’s Board. Their expertise across global brands, technology and customer experience at scale will be instrumental as we further advance our turnaround plan,” said Franco Fogliato, CEO. “We look forward to partnering with them as we continue to engage consumers through innovation, technology and impactful storytelling to deliver long-term, profitable growth.”

Wendy Schoppert, Chair of the Board, added, “Sebastian and Chandhu have decades of expertise that is highly relevant to the Company’s business strategy. We are confident they will bring valuable perspectives to the Board as we build the Fossil Group of the future and drive durable value creation for all of our stakeholders.”

Sebastian DiGrande brings more than 30 years of experience spanning the technology, retail and environmental sectors, with notable expertise in digital transformation and omnichannel commerce, technology strategy, data analytics, compensation governance and ESG. He co-founded and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of PCX Markets, a climate technology and plastic responsibility platform operating in 16 countries. Previously, Mr. DiGrande served as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Chief Customer Officer at Gap, Inc. Earlier in his career, Mr. DiGrande spent 21 years with The Boston Consulting Group, most recently serving as Senior Partner and Managing Director. During his tenure, Mr. DiGrande also spent eight years as Americas Leader of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Practice and led the global Technology Sector for Marketing, Sales and Pricing for a decade, advising Fortune 500 companies and their boards on strategy, transformation, M&A and organizational change. Mr. DiGrande previously served on the Board of Directors of Big Lots, Inc. from 2018 to 2025. 

“I am pleased to join the Board of an industry leader with such a rich heritage in watchmaking,” said Sebastian DiGrande. “I am impressed with the Company’s iconic brands, strengthened operating model and talented teams, all underpinned by a commitment to delivering the best in design and innovation to customers around the world. I’m excited and honored to contribute to this bright future for the Fossil business.”

Chandhu Nair is a senior technology executive with more than 20 years of experience leading enterprise digital, data and artificial intelligence transformation across global consumer businesses. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief AI Officer at Target Corporation. Mr. Nair previously spent six years with Lowe’s Companies, Inc., where he launched and led the Company’s enterprise AI Transformation Office, advancing the use of AI to drive growth, improve inventory productivity and increase operational efficiency. During his tenure, he served as Senior Vice President, Technology – Stores, Artificial Intelligence and Innovation, and Vice President, Technology – Omnichannel Marketing and Customer Engagement. Previously, Mr. Nair co-founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Cognitive Retail Inc. Earlier in his career, he held e-commerce and technology leadership roles at Staples Inc. and Infosys. 

Mr. Nair stated, “I am honored to join the Fossil Group Board at an important point in the Company’s transformation. Fossil has an iconic portfolio of brands and a strong heritage of design and innovation. I look forward to working with the Board and management team as the Company builds on that foundation and advances the next phase of its strategic journey.”

About Fossil Group, Inc.

Fossil Group, Inc. is a global design, marketing, distribution and innovation company specializing in lifestyle accessories. Under a diverse portfolio of owned and licensed brands, our offerings include watches, jewelry, handbags, small leather goods, belts and sunglasses. We are committed to delivering the best in design and innovation across our owned brands, Fossil, Michele, Relic, Skagen and Zodiac, and licensed brands, Armani Exchange, Diesel, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, Skechers and Tory Burch. We bring each brand story to life through an extensive distribution network across numerous geographies, categories and channels. Certain press release and SEC filing information concerning the Company is also available at www.fossilgroup.com.