Laura Szymanski
Laura Szymanski is a merchandising leader, strategist, and operational with nearly 20 years of experience in the retail industry and 15 years of progressive expertise in merchandising across wholesale, franchise, international, and direct-to-consumer channels. She currently serves as Sr. Director Merchandise Operations & Strategy at Tommy Hilfiger, where she has been part of the organization since 2013, leading merchandising operations since 2022 within a rapidly evolving matrixed retail environment. Since beginning her career in 2007, she has built a strong reputation for developing merchandising strategies, consumer centric product assortments, driving cross-functional alignment, improving operational efficiency, and delivering measurable business results across global fashion organizations.
Over the past several years, Laura has transitioned from traditional merchandising into a senior operational leadership role, overseeing end-to-end calendars, streamlining processes for over a $1B+ Region and Channels, supporting the company’s transformation following a corporate restructure. In her current role, she focuses on merchandising operations and operational excellence, ensuring seamless end-to-end execution from concept through consumer touch point. She partners closely with merchandising, product and global teams across regions, providing analytics, insights, and solutions to complex operational challenges. Known as a proactive leader, she is frequently able to anticipate issues before they arise, enabling teams to stay focused on execution and delivering the business while she removes roadblocks and strengthens process efficiency.
Laura’s career began with a foundation in design and apparel studies, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Textile and Apparel Design from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an Associate’s degree in Accessories Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. Early experiences including internships in New York at brands as Juicy Couture and Liz Claiborne. Along with exposure to the apparel industry through her family’s sewing machine business & her mother's seamstress work, shaped her interest in how clothing moves from concept to production to shop floor at scale.
Beyond her professional achievements, Laura is known for her collaborative leadership style and her belief that people are the driving force behind business success. She is passionate about empowering teams, strengthening cross functional collaboration, and building scalable processes that support long term growth.
Outside of work, she is an avid tennis enthusiast and former high school doubles champion who continues to follow the sport closely and plans her travel around major tennis tournaments. She also enjoys cooking, exploring food culture, and is a member of the James Beard Foundation, with a strong interest in food related nonprofit work such as Feeding America.
Grounded in adaptability, innovation, and teamwork, Laura brings a people first, process driven approach to leadership in today’s dynamic retail landscape.
• MentorMatch 2024
• Leadership Essentials
• 2024 Fashion Forward Leadership Accelerator Program
• Fashion Institute of Technology- Associate's
• University of Wisconsin-Madison- Bachelor's
• James Beard Foundation
• Feeding America
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a deep understanding of end-to-end processes and a proactive leadership approach that anticipates challenges before they arise. I’m passionate about retail, fashion, and product, and bring an inquisitive mindset that continuously seeks to learn and evolve. I also focus on empowering teams to execute confidently and efficiently, minimizing the need for reactive problem-solving.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One mindset that has really stayed with me is, “Once you stop learning, it’s time to leave.” That perspective has really shaped my career. It’s why I’ve stayed so engaged over the years, there’s always been an opportunity to learn, whether through new people, new strategies, new challenges, or the constant evolution of retail. For me, staying curious and wanting to deliver the business is what keeps the work exciting and meaningful.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I believe the success of any business ultimately comes down to its people. They are the ones who bring strategies to life, so my focus is always on empowering teams with the right tools, clarity, and support to do their jobs effectively. I also recognize that tough decisions are sometimes necessary, and not everyone will always agree. However, with strong collaboration, shared understanding, and a team-first mindset, we can align and move forward together. My leadership approach is centered on bringing teams together, reducing friction, navigating overlapping priorities, and enabling cross-functional success so everyone is set up to deliver at their best.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to Laura professionally are accountability, candor, empowering others, and fostering strong collaboration, all grounded in a commitment to operational discipline that drives meaningful results.
She also places a high priority on giving back, reflected in her support of initiatives like Feeding America and her dedication to making a positive impact beyond the workplace.
Locations
Tommy Hilfiger
285 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10017