J.Jill Picks Mary Ellen Coyne as Next CEO

J.Jill Inc. appointed Mary Ellen Coyne as its next chief executive officer and president, effective May 1.

Coyne, the former CEO of J.McLaughlin, will also join the board as she succeeds Claire Spofford, who announced her retirement from the top job in December.

Coyne is credited with revitalizing J.McLaughlin, driving sales and profitability at the 48-year-old brand during the nearly 10 years she worked there. Working closely with Kevin McLaughlin, chief creative officer and cofounder of J.McLaughlin along with his brother Jay, Coyne was instrumental in repositioning and modernizing the brand from its very traditional, straight-up preppy classic roots to a brand with a much more contemporary take on classic style. She also led a steady rollout of J.McLaughlin stores, enhanced the brand’s e-commerce capabilities and expanded the collection by introducing several new categories. Prior to J.McLaughlin, Coyne held executive roles at Ralph Lauren, including chief merchandising officer of women’s and children’s. She is a three-decade veteran of the retail fashion industry.

“I am honored to join J.Jill at such a pivotal time in its journey,” Coyne said in a statement. “J.Jill’s commitment to providing high-quality, versatile apparel that resonates with the consumer aligns perfectly with my passion for creating meaningful customer experiences. I am excited to work with the talented team at J.Jill to continue building on the brand’s strong heritage and drive its future growth.”

“Mary Ellen’s extensive experience in the retail industry, combined with her proven track record of driving growth and strategic transformation, makes her the ideal leader to take J.Jill into its next phase,” said Michael Rahamim, chairman of the board. “Her recent success as CEO of J.McLaughlin and her impactful tenure at Ralph Lauren speaks to her ability to build and scale businesses, enhance customer experience and deliver shareholder value.”

Spofford ran the 65-year-old Quincy, Mass.-based J.Jill for four years. During her tenure, she was on a mission to elevate the brand’s profile and put greater focus on selling full-price casual merchandise appropriate for on the job and after hours. It’s a segment of the apparel business that’s sprung into popularity with people return to working at their offices after the pandemic. J.Jill sells merchandise under its own private label and primarily caters to middle-aged and older women.

Spofford once told WWD that J.Jill’s sweet spot is “sophisticated premium casual.” In terms of style, “We don’t go out there, because she doesn’t want us to go out there. We try to fast-follow on the trends. This premium casual, versatile product that you can dress up or dress down is really where we sit and that is what [the customer] is looking for. It’s suitable for back-to-office or whatever you do during your day. You can dress it up or dress it down.”

J.Jill’s net sales for the third quarter increased 0.3 percent to $151.3 million compared to $150.9 million a year earlier. In 2023, J.Jill generated $604.7 million in sales. The company operates more than 200 stores nationwide and an e-commerce platform.  

“We believe, with over three decades of experience at reputable fashion and lifestyle brands, Coyne will be able to pick up the groundwork that has been laid by current CEO Claire Spofford with support from chief financial officer Mark Webb,” Dylan Carden, analyst at William Blair, wrote in an equity research report. “We are particularly encouraged that under Coyne’s leadership, J.McLaughlin achieved several years of high-single-digit growth and consistently maintained 70 percent margins with over 80 percent of sales made at full price.

“Since 2021, J.Jill has focused on greater discipline around inventory, allowing for a more controlled position to stimulate demand at full price selling,” Carden said. “Here, it would appear Coyne will continue executing on this strategy. Shares of J.Jill trade at six times our 2026 earnings per share, where we believe the company can return to a low-single-digit comp [with] low-single-digit store growth while maintaining margin. We see the largest risk at this point being macro, which puts the company in similar standing as the broader retail field.”

The change in command at J.Jill was announced late Thursday afternoon.