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Empower Brands, a franchisor of brands in the home and business services categories, announced that Melanie Watts has joined the company as Vice President of Brand Strategy. In this role, Watts is responsible for operationalizing brand marketing functions across Empower’s growing portfolio of brands and franchise systems. 

With more than 20 years of leadership at some of the world’s most prominent consumer packaged goods companies, including Nestlé and PepsiCo, Watts brings an impressive track record of elevating billion-dollar brands, maximizing business performance and developing high-performing teams.

As Vice President of Brand Strategy at Empower Brands, she will leverage insights and data-driven marketing at local and national levels, optimize and implement operational excellence and foster seamless collaboration across franchisees and cross-functional teams. Watts will serve as a strategic partner to Felicia Reeves, Chief Marketing Officer at Empower Brands, in day-to-day brand marketing operations, insight gathering and franchisee communication.

“Melanie’s proven experience building powerhouse brands and creating scalable systems makes her an exceptional fit for our leadership team amid our rapid development,” said Reeves. “As we continue to grow our portfolio, her leadership will ensure we stay aligned, strategic and consistent in how we show up for both our franchisees and our customers.”

This announcement comes during a year of significant momentum for Empower Brands. In fiscal year 2025, the company grew its network of franchise owners by 13 percent across the portfolio, increasing the total number of locations by 10 percent. This growth underscores Empower’s commitment to franchisee-first values, adding the right owners in the right markets at the right time. The expansion of the leadership team will support this rapid growth while ensuring long-term brand consistency.

“I’ve spent my career helping brands deliver meaningful impact through strategy, execution and collaboration,” said Watts. “Joining Empower Brands offers the chance to bring that same approach to a portfolio that makes a difference in people’s homes and communities every day. By combining data-driven insights with a franchisee-first mindset, I see tremendous opportunity to strengthen our brands and help shape the next chapter of growth.”