Coyne will take the J.Jill CEO position from 1 May 2025 following Claire Spofford’s retirement on 30 April 2025.
Coyne’s responsibilities will extend to serving on the board of directors. She brings over 30 years of executive experience within the retail sector.
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J.Jill board chairman Michael Rahamim said: “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.
“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. We are thrilled to welcome her to the J.Jill family.”
In her most recent position as CEO of J.McLaughlin, Coyne helped to rejuvenate the brand and significantly increased sales and profitability throughout nearly a decade.
She was also credited for the expansion of the company’s retail presence, bolstered ecommerce operations, improved product offerings, and ventured into new product categories.
Before her tenure at J.McLaughlin, Coyne held various executive roles at Ralph Lauren, including that of chief merchandising officer for its women’s and children’s divisions.
Coyne said: “I am honoured to join J.Jill at such a pivotal time in its journey.
“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.”
J.Jill operates from its headquarters outside Boston and serves customers through more than 200 stores across the US as well as an ecommerce platform.
In January, the brand reaffirmed its financial outlook for both the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 ahead of participating in investor meetings at the 27th Annual ICR Conference.
The company anticipates a decrease in net sales by 4% to 6% for the fourth quarter when compared to fiscal 2023’s period but expects total company comparable sales to increase by 1% to 3% relative to the comparable 13-week period from the previous fiscal year.
For fiscal 2024 overall, J.Jill projects net sales to remain approximately flat or increase by up to 1%, with total company comparable sales expected to rise by 1% to 2%.
