Herbert Mines Associates
Herbert Mines Associates is a boutique retained executive search firm focused exclusively on retail and multi-unit consumer-facing brands, placing C-suite and board leaders from its New York headquarters with a team of nine professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1976
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Herbert Mines Associates does
Herbert Mines Associates (HMA) is a privately held, New York-based retained executive search firm that has operated continuously since the mid-1970s and concentrates exclusively on retail and multi-unit consumer-facing brands. From its headquarters at 230 Park Avenue, a team of nine listed professionals conducts C-suite, board director, and senior functional searches across omnichannel retail, fashion and apparel, DTC and digital, beauty and personal care, grocery and consumables, consumer services, sustainability-led businesses, and restaurants, hospitality, and leisure. The firm positions itself as a specialist alternative to large, multi-practice search conglomerates, emphasizing 48 years of category focus and deep executive relationships within the retail sector.
HMA's service model is retained executive search: engagements are typically structured around a fee based on a percentage of the placed executive's first-year total compensation, consistent with broader industry practice in the 25-33% range. The firm's competitive positioning rests on a high-touch, consultative approach targeted at boards, CEOs, and senior leadership teams, with documented advisory relationships across 186 private equity firms that drive mandates from portfolio companies and acquisitions. Specific placement evidence includes CEO searches at Abercrombie & Fitch (Fran Horowitz), Old Navy / Gap (Horacio Barbeito), Ulta Beauty, Burlington Stores, Grocery Outlet, J.McLaughlin, Bob's Discount Furniture, Fender Musical Instruments, Bombas, Grocery Outlet, Salad and Go, Hint Inc., Laird Superfood, and Gelson's, alongside board, CFO, CMO, and Chief Merchandising Officer placements at brands including Vera Bradley, Guitar Center, BJ's Wholesale Club, Designer Brands, Warby Parker, National Vision, Matouk, and Tata Harper Skincare.
Commercially, HMA distributes through direct, enterprise-grade client engagement supported by PR, trade press coverage, and limited senior-executive podcast and media appearances. The firm reports outcomes of 96% diversity representation in candidate slates, 58% of placements being women or people of color, and 100% diversity in board director placements. There is no disclosed technology platform, software product, API, or AI offering; the assets under management are relational rather than technological, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. Ownership is internal to the leadership partnership, with no parent company, no institutional investor, and no identified acquisition or capital-raising activity in the available data.
Herbert Mines Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Herbert Mines Associates
- Legal name
- Herbert Mines Associates
- Website
- https://herbertmines.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1976
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Herbert Mines Associates is a boutique retained executive search firm focused exclusively on retail and multi-unit consumer-facing brands, placing C-suite and board leaders from its New York headquarters with a team of nine professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Herbert Mines Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Executive Search Services
- NAICS
- Executive Search Services (561312), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search (BPACAAAK)
Keywords
Where Herbert Mines Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Herbert Mines Associates business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retained Executive Search: Retained search engagements for senior-level executive placements including C-suite, board directors, and senior leadership roles. Fee structure typically based on a percentage of the placed executive's annual compensation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Herbert Mines Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Herbert Mines Associates is a retained executive search firm that recruits C-suite executives, board directors, and senior leaders for retail and multi-unit consumer-facing brands. Engagements are conducted on a retained basis, with a team of 9 specialists serving clients across eight vertical practice areas including omnichannel retail, fashion/apparel, DTC/digital, beauty, grocery, consumer services, sustainability, and restaurant/hospitality. The firm also advises 186 private equity firms on executive talent within portfolio companies.
Product overview
Herbert Mines Associates is an executive search firm that provides specialized recruitment and talent acquisition services for consumer-facing retail brands. The company offers senior-level executive search, talent benchmarking, and CEO/C-Suite succession planning services across multiple retail sectors including omnichannel retail, fashion/apparel/accessories, DTC/digital/tech, beauty/personal health/wellness, grocery/consumables, consumer services, sustainability/purpose-driven businesses, and restaurant/hospitality/leisure. As a service-based firm rather than a software product company, it does not operate a product platform with modules or distinct digital offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retained Executive Search
- Board of Directors Search
- Private Equity Portfolio Executive Advisory
Quantifiable outcome
- 96% of candidate slates include diversity candidates
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Herbert Mines Associates
Customer profileNamed customers30 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Herbert Mines Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Herbert Mines Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Herbert Mines Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Consumer & Retail practice. Directly competes with HMA for C-suite and board mandates in retail, but operates at vastly greater scale (60+ offices worldwide) with broader sector coverage.
- Spencer Stuart: Premier global executive search firm with a strong Consumer & Retail practice. Overlaps directly with HMA on CEO, board, and C-suite searches in retail and consumer-facing brands, though Spencer Stuart serves a broader range of industries.
- Korn Ferry: The world's largest executive search firm with a Consumer practice. Competes with HMA on senior retail mandates but offers a much wider portfolio including RPO, consulting, and assessment services that HMA does not provide.
- Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a Consumer Products & Retail practice. Competes for C-suite and board assignments in retail/consumer; like other large incumbents, serves a broader sector mix than HMA's exclusive focus.
- Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with deep retail/consumer coverage. Competes for senior executive and board mandates in HMA's core verticals while offering a broader industry footprint.
Direct peers
- DHR International: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Consumer & Retail practice that mirrors HMA's exclusive vertical focus. Direct competitor for retained C-suite and board searches among consumer-facing brands and PE-backed retailers.
- Caldwell Partners: Boutique executive search firm that competes with HMA for senior-level mandates across consumer, retail, and PE-backed portfolios. Operates at a similar boutique scale with comparable retained search model.
Emerging players
- True Search: Tech-enabled executive search firm that has expanded into consumer/PE-backed mandates. Represents a newer, more technology-driven model that competes with traditional boutiques like HMA on PE-backed executive searches.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Herbert Mines Associates social profiles
Digital presenceHerbert Mines Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Herbert Mines Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Herbert Mines Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Herbert Mines Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Herbert Mines Associates
What does Herbert Mines Associates do?
Herbert Mines Associates is a retained executive search firm that recruits C-suite executives, board directors, and senior leaders for retail and multi-unit consumer-facing brands. Engagements are conducted on a retained basis, with a team of 9 specialists serving clients across eight vertical practice areas including omnichannel retail, fashion/apparel, DTC/digital, beauty, grocery, consumer services, sustainability, and restaurant/hospitality. The firm also advises 186 private equity firms on executive talent within portfolio companies.
Is Herbert Mines Associates a public or private company?
Herbert Mines Associates is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Herbert Mines Associates founded?
Herbert Mines Associates was founded in 1976. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Herbert Mines Associates based?
Herbert Mines Associates is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Herbert Mines Associates make money?
One revenue line is on record: retained Executive Search.
Who are Herbert Mines Associates's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Heidrick & Struggles, Spencer Stuart, Korn Ferry, Russell Reynolds Associates and Egon Zehnder. Direct peers are DHR International and Caldwell Partners. True Search is listed as an emerging player.
Does Herbert Mines Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Herbert Mines Associates.
What industry is Herbert Mines Associates in?
Herbert Mines Associates's product category is Executive Search Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAAAK, Confidential/Replacement & Succession Search. Its NAICS code is 561312 and its SIC code is 7361.