Herbert Mines Associates Lands CEO for J.McLaughlin

August 1, 2016 – Herbert Mines Associates has recruited Mary Ellen Coyne as chief executive officer of J.McLaughlin.
In her role as CEO, Ms. Coyne will be responsible for leading the overall direction of J.McLaughlin and will oversee all aspects of strategy and operations, including merchandising, product development, marketing, brand development as well as continued retail and ecommerce growth.
Ms. Coyne joins J.McLaughlin after spending 19 years at Ralph Lauren, having most recently served as chief merchandising officer of the POLO Women’s and Children’s divisions. Prior to her role there she held merchandising positions at Victoria’s Secret, The Gap and Ann Taylor. She began her career in the Macy’s Training Program.
“Mary Ellen is a natural fit. In many ways she personifies the J.McLaughlin brand and embodies our core customer and values,” said Kevin McLaughlin, chief creative officer and co-founder of the brand. “This coupled with her considerable knowledge of the retail industry made her our first choice to lead J.McLaughlin into the next chapter of growth.”
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“Mary Ellen is a proven merchant and also has extensive experience across various operating functions which makes her an ideal leader for the brand,” said Roger Goddu, a partner at Brentwood & Associates, which owns a majority stake in J.McLaughlin. “She has a strong and successful track record as a fashion merchandising executive and her expertise will play a critical role developing and executing key merchandising strategies.”
Ms. Coyne said: “The spirit with which this brand was founded is incredibly relevant today. I see significant opportunities to build on the core product assortment and add new categories. I am thrilled to be joining the J.McLaughlin team and plan to leverage the strength of the brand to accelerate the company’s growth across all channels of distribution, by both increasing the current retail footprint and investing in the company’s direct marketing efforts.”
Founded in 1977 and headquartered in Brooklyn, J.McLaughlin is a lifestyle brand rooted in the American traditions of sport, work and play. The brand designs proprietary apparel and accessories for women and men with an emphasis on craftsmanship and timeless style.
Herbert Mines Associates is a specialist search boutique focusing on the retail, luxury, consumer products, hospitality & food service, fashion / apparel, and e-commerce industries. The firm is noted for its C-level recruiting work, placing presidents, chief operating officers and CEOs at a number of branded retailers, including Coach; Fred’s; Neiman Marcus; Payless ShoeSource; Ulta Beauty; Mama Rosa’s Pizza; Oregon Ice Cream Co.; Fender; Black Diamond; and Bare Snacks, among dozens of others.
The New York-based search firm recently placed Shelley Broader as president and CEO of Fort Myers-headquartered Chico’s FAS, Steven R. Becker as CEO of Tuesday Morning Corp., John N. Haugh as president and CEO of Iconix Brand Group, as well as R. Shawn Neville as CEO of footwear company Aerosoles.
Contributed by Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor, Hunt Scanlon Media