Jack Mitchell

Jack Mitchell is Chairman and CEO of Mitchells/Richards/Marshs and Wilkes Bashford, a three-generation family business that operates men's and women's specialty stores in Connecticut, New York, and California that are nationally renowned for their personal service touches and strong relationships. Mitchell himself has been recognized as one of the top ten retail visionaries of his time by The Daily News-Record, one of the most widely read retail trade publications in the country.

After completing a BA at Wesleyan University in 1961 and a MA at the University of California-Berkeley, Mitchell joined the family business, Ed Mitchell, Inc., which was founded by his parents, Ed and Norma, and later became Mitchells of Westport. In 1995, Mitchells acquired Richards, the leading men's clothing store in Greenwich, Connecticut, and in 2006, added Marshs of Huntington, Long Island, to the group. In December of 2009, they also proudly acquired Wilkes Bashford in San Francisco and Palo Alto, California.

Under his leadership, Mitchells, Richards, and Marshs have become well known for employee engagement and longevity and providing exceptional customer service and high quality merchandise in an exciting, friendly, and visually dynamic atmosphere. Mitchell is an active leader, on the floor listening and learning.

In 2003, Mitchell launched a "second career" as a speaker and author. His first book, Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results, was a Wall Street Journal bestseller and received rave reviews in The New York Times. In addition, it was endorsed by Warren Buffet with the following quote: "It's a gem. I wish everyone at Berkshire would follow his advice—we would own the world." In 2008, Mitchell published his second book, Hug Your People: The Proven Way to Hire, Inspire, and Recognize Your Employees to Achieve Remarkable Results, where he illustrates a business blueprint to personalize relationships to drive success and achieve greater satisfaction at work.

Mitchell has become known as a passionate and enthusiastic public speaker, keynoting at over 200 events for corporations including Morgan Stanley, Conde Nast, Payless, Nike, Starbucks, and Harvard University, addressing audiences of all sizes and reaching over 50,000 people globally with Hug Your Customers/Hug Your People presentations. Mitchell has appeared on NBC's The Today Show and Kudlow & Cramer as well as numerous radio interviews and online and print articles. Mitchell has been quoted in national magazines as a customer service and management leadership expert. In April 2005, INC Magazine listed him as one of the 26 Entrepreneurs We Love.

Mitchell shares with his family a number of community leadership awards from the Anti-Defamation League, the menswear division of UJA-Federation of New York, and Sacred Heart University. He is on the Yale Cancer Board and Greenwich Hospital Board of Trustees.