Allison O’Connor has been named President and CEO of the renowned home furnishing brand
Effective July 15, 2019, veteran retail and omnichannel executive Allison O’Connor is joining Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams as President and CEO. After conducting a thorough search with leading executive recruitment firm Spencer Stuart, Allison was selected to spearhead the brand’s next phase of growth. Mitchell Gold, co-founder, will remain as Chairman focused on vision and strategy, and Bob Williams, co-founder, will remain as President of Design. Allison will be based at the company’s headquarters in Taylorsville, North Carolina.
“We are thrilled to have Allison coming aboard. She has a proven track record in building an omnichannel business with excellence. I know she will be a tremendous asset to our company,” said Gold. “Allison has the skills—and equally important, the heart—to help us carry our ethos forward while keeping us at the forefront of our industry, as we have been over the last 30 years.”
O’Connor brings deep experience in both apparel and home specialty retail. She has over 30 years of merchandising and retail leadership at leading brands such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Terrain, and Williams-Sonoma. Most recently, she helped lead the significant expansion and growth of the leading Australian homewares brand, Sheridan.
“Allison’s experience is exactly what our company needs,” said Williams. “When I first met her, I was taken with her intellect and warmth, and that she is a ‘shopkeeper’ at her core.”
“I have long admired and been a fan of the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams brand, and I am excited to be joining them as CEO,” said O’Connor. “Together we will expand all facets of the business. The opportunity to start with a solid platform that is poised for additional growth was a key attraction for me.”
“Mitchell and Bob have been terrific partners,” commented Kent Sorrells, Managing Director of the Stephens Group, the company’s principal investor. “Allison’s joining reflects the evolution of the company into its next phase of expansion into a full omnichannel leader in the home furnishings space. All of us look forward to supporting Allison in her new role.”
ABOUT MITCHELL GOLD + BOB WILLIAMS
Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams owns and operates 30 retail stores and a state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution center in North Carolina spanning close to one million square feet that support the brand’s expanding retail, wholesale, office and contract/hospitality sectors.
CONTACT:
Samantha Jacobson
VP of PR and Special Events
646.272.8432
Samantha.jacobson@mgbwhome.com
Nikki Martin
PR and Special Events Manager
828.632.9200
Nikki.martin@mgbwhome.com
ABOUT THE STEPHENS GROUP, LLC
The Stephens Group, LLC is a private investment firm that partners with talented management teams to help build valuable businesses. Backed by the resources of the Stephens family, The Stephens Group has a long history of providing sophisticated, strategic expertise and taking a partnership approach to help companies successfully achieve their strategic visions and build long-term value. With over $1.5 billion invested since 2006, The Stephens Group targets investments in industries across the U.S., including industrial and commercial products and services, specialty distribution, B2B food and consumer products, and technology infrastructure and tech-enabled services, as well as select opportunistic situations.
CONTACT:
Ronald M. Clark
General Counsel
The Stephens Group, LLC
pressreleases@stephensgroup.com
501.377.3401