Veteran Retail and Omnichannel Executive Joins Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams as CEO

TAYLORSVILLE, N.C., June 13, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 Chair-man 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."

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. 

The Stephens Group, based in Little Rock, AR, is a private, family-owned investment firm that partners with talented management teams to help build valuable businesses. 

SOURCE Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams