Forter announced the appointment of Jennifer Howard as the company’s first Chief Merchant as the AI-powered commerce platform expands its focus on merchant engagement and retail-driven product development.
According to the company, Howard will serve as the voice of merchants within Forter’s organization, helping strengthen relationships with the company’s global customer base while supporting product development aligned with evolving retail and consumer commerce challenges.
Howard brings more than two decades of experience across digital commerce, merchandising, product strategy, and retail operations. Her prior leadership roles include positions at companies such as Levi Strauss, Gap, Williams-Sonoma, and e.l.f. Cosmetics.
Most recently, Howard served as Vice President of Digital Experience at Balsam Brands, where she led initiatives focused on customer journey optimization and digital revenue growth.
Forter said Howard’s responsibilities will include scaling engagement with the company’s merchant community, which includes nearly one million businesses serving more than two billion shoppers globally. She will also help integrate merchant insights into Forter’s research and development initiatives and broader go-to-market strategy.
The company stated that the newly created Chief Merchant role reflects its effort to further align platform development with real-world commerce needs as retailers increasingly prioritize frictionless digital shopping experiences.
Forter provides AI-driven decisioning tools used across e-commerce workflows including account creation, checkout, fraud prevention, and returns management.
The company said Howard has extensive experience leading cross-functional teams spanning marketing, product, technology, and user experience functions, with a focus on digital modernization and operational growth initiatives.
KEY QUOTES:
“The brands I’ve admired most are the ones that treat commerce as a craft, obsessing over the consumer experience and defining the commerce moments that truly matter. Forter is already the platform of choice for those businesses – delivering a core technology for frictionless experiences from sign-up to checkout and returns. I’m joining to deepen these relationships even more and to ensure Forter maintains its place at the center of the most exciting commerce stories being written right now.”
Jennifer Howard, Chief Merchant, Forter
“Forter was built for the businesses pushing commerce forward and those that demand partners who are one step ahead. Creating the Chief Merchant role embeds our merchant obsession into our corporate structure. Jennifer has lived and breathed the challenges our customers face. Her ability to translate merchant reality into action, and to amplify their voices across everything we build, is exactly what this moment in commerce calls for.”
Michael Reitblat, CEO And Co-Founder, Forter
