Maggie George - President at iWired, Inc.
We have had a long-standing relationship with Jim, utilizing his services to design and merchandise our Arizona and Colorado showrooms. Jim went into the projects knowing very little about our industry but jumped in head first to understand what services we provide, the products we sell and the competition around us. He met with our leadership and sales teams to understand the selling process and the tools needed to create a comfortable customer experience. The end product is a beautiful showroom that uses vignettes to highlight our products; helping the client understand how everything will function in their home or place of business. The design is unique to our brand and offers a perfect mix of residential and professional aesthetic, while delivering on a message of iWired as a trusted authority in the industry. Our Scottsdale showroom is highly regarded as one of our Company's greatest strategic assets and has yielded significant increases in per transaction sales volume.
We were so pleased with Jim's work and taste level that we also hired him to help us with our home outside of Seattle.
Maggie George is an ongoing client of Jim's.
Catalina Maddox-Wagers - Chief Merchandising Officer
As a creative leader, Jim stands out for his ability to balance both creativity and terrific business sense. He has an uncanny ability to not only identify opportunities where most people cannot see them but also to quickly solve problems with solutions that are innovative and scalable. He is resourceful and a real expert in his field.
In his position, Jim deals with many different internal and external resources, left and right brain types, limited budgets and even more limited timeframes. Yet, he manages to meet deadlines efficiently and reliably. His management, planning and communication skills enable him to rally his team around projects and goals and deliver outstanding results.
Jim is a terrific partner, a team player through and through, and above all, a very hard working, loyal and honest person. His kindness and upbeat personality make him a very positive influence and great asset for any organization.
Jim reported to Catalina indirectly while at Things Remembered.
Amy Myers - SVP Marketing
Jim is wildly talented and extraordinarily creative. However, where Jim really stands out is his leadership. Jim had a vision for where he wanted to take the department and he was able to build a path to get there. He knows how to get the most out of talented associates and keeps the long-term plan in mind with everything he does.
Jim reported to Amy while at Things Remembered
Joel Lancaster - Vice President, Retail Sales and Operations
Having worked with Jim for several years at Things Remembered, I endorse him as a strategic, proactive and energetic leader. Jim demonstrates a clear understanding of the integrated relationship between sales and visual merchandising and works collaboratively to enhance the customer experience and drive profitable transaction growth across 640 retail locations at Things Remembered. He sets himself apart with his professionalism, communication and people management skills and demonstrates a genuine interest in the development of his team as well as the cross-functional teams around him. Jim is a reliable business partner and valuable asset to any organization and I have no hesitation in giving him my strongest recommendation
Jim reported to Joel indirectly while at Things Remembered.
Cathy Leung - Sr. Director of Merchandising
Jim is extremely talented and creative. When he came to Things Remembered , he was able to immediately impacted the business by elevating the visual standards, generate excitement, and create unique presentations that made Things Remembered stand out. Jim is also someone that is fun to work with, great personality and always has a positive outlook; always finding solutions to problems. I miss working with him!
Jim worked with Cathy while at Things Remembered.
Pamela Munkwitz - Retail Sales and Visual Merchandising Leader.
Jim MacLean worked for and with me for many years at Nordstrom in Visual Merchandising. I always found him a joy to work with.
He is smart, sensible, and has a great sense of design and style. He isn't afraid of hard work, and has the charm, humor and diplomacy necessary to work with many types of people in all areas of the company.
When I was Regional Visual Manager of Northern California, and was in charge of store openings, I often requested that Jim be on the team we'd bring in to do windows, interiors, fashion show and party set up. He was adaptable to any of those duties. And any task he was given was completed on time and with attention to detail. He was one of those on staff I could count on to deliver every time.
I got to see Jim again when I was working in Corporate Visual in Seattle years later. He had by this time been promoted many times and was now Visual Manager at the flagship Seattle store. In any dealings I had with Jim, he still demonstrated all the positive qualities and energy I had seen in him several years before.
Jim is a dedicated and driven employee and any company smart enough to add him to their team would be very lucky to get him!
Jim reported to Pam while at Nordstrom.
Kim Berger - Visual Merchandising and Creative Services
As Jim’s Regional Manager at Nordstrom, I saw a creative professional and team leader that successfully managed the largest Visual Merchandising department at the most high profile store in the company. He built a team of passionately creative, talented professionals; a team so well respected they were given complete creative autonomy. Under the spotlight of the entire company, Jim and his team were key contributors to the most successful store opening in the company’s history. He juggled a store move with endless events, amazing window designs, floor sets, seminars and everything else with an easy temperament and clear focus. He was a candid manager, an accountable report that was well liked among his peers and well respected by his team.
Jim reported to Kim while at Nordstrom.
Lisa Syre - Director, Visual Merchandising
Jim is a passionate and compassionate leader with a dynamic style and spirit that inspires team-building excellence. His keen eye and witty style draws engagement from all who come into contact with him. Jim will always give a fresh perspective on tough decisions, and takes the time to address all the pros/cons of situations we may face as a leadership team. He is like a ninja, his swift action and attention to detail are amazing in the dynamic extremely fast paced and continuously changing nature of our business. He manages each project with diligence and is able to quickly re-prioritize when business conditions change. He is a valuable leader who brings a strong knowledge base and critical thinking to the job and every project he works on. Jim is a pleasure to work with, and for!
Lisa reported to Jim while at Clarisonic.
Natalie Banks - Director, Brand Strategy & Innovation
Jim’s been a pleasure to work with and appreciated his dedication to the Clarisonic business. In 2015 the business shifted and it was a huge undertaking for the US team. This was no small task and with slim resources Jim led his team to deliver- negotiating space and location with retailers and balancing their restrictions without compromising the brand. With a strong collaborative approach Jim was well regarded, trusted and respected.
Jim worked with Natalie while at Clarisonic.
Rachel Terentjev - Visual Merchandising, Assistant Manager at L'Oreal
Jim is fantastic and I am lucky to have been a part of his team at Clarisonic. Jim has an energy to him that brightens your day and a positive outlook that can make the most daunting project seem manageable. He is a supportive and encouraging team leader who never hesitates to help, even in the midst of a complex ever-changing work environment. Jim has an enviable amount of creativity and a thoughtfulness he brings to any challenge. He never shy’s away from offering a fresh solution while always staying true to brand identity. He is a master of elevating visual presentations and has proven he can deliver results under extremely tight deadlines. He is a hard-working, talented and wonderful person who would be an asset to any organization.
Rachel reported to Jim while at Clarisonic.
Roxie Sieu - Manager, Global Marketing, Innovation and Development
I strongly recommend Jim MacLean for roles in retail, merchandising and marketing. In my time working with Jim on the US Marketing team at Clarisonic, a L’Oreal company, I’ve learned that he is intelligent, creative, and diligent. On every project, he has been clear with his perspective and thoughtful with his feedback. He’s fantastic to work with, completely unafraid to dive into whatever challenge he’s been presented with and he always gives it his full attention. Jim’s versatility, unbridled positivity and consistent hands-on attitude makes him an invaluable asset in any kind of dynamic environment. He is fearless, consistently professional and is absolutely invaluable when it comes to complex work environments and new challenges of every stripe. Anyone would be lucky to work with Jim, and he would be a wonderful addition any team.
Jim worked with Roxie while at Clarisonic.
Karen John - Regional/ District Manager
It has been my pleasure to work with Jim in several different roles over the past twenty years. In each role his vision, creative abilities and leadership have garnered him many successes. He finds the time to acknowledge achievements and coaches his staff to reach company and personal goals. I hope our paths continue to cross in our careers. I will always jump at a chance to work with Jim again.
Karen has worked with and reported to Jim.
Susan Crawford, MAOM, SPHR, SHRM-SCP - Manager, Organizational Development and Learning
Jim is a great partner and an involved leader. He is dedicated to creating exceptional visual displays for our stores and is an intuitive and focused manager to his team. He addresses issues promptly and is eager to improve on all levels. He is warm and friendly, a pleasure to work with and a great contributor to the organization.
Jim worked with Susan while at Things Remembered.
Tracey Nikodemus OWNER - Landhaus Nikodemus, German Cafe & Shop
Working with Jim on renovations and new store openings at Sur La Table was a true pleasure. He is hardworking, visually savvy & detail oriented offering honest productive feedback and encouragement. I hope to have the opportunity to work with him again!"
Jim worked with Tracey while at Sur la Table.