Mary Lou Andre
Founder & President, Organization By Design, Inc.
Editor, dressingwell.com

Mary Lou Andre is a nationally recognized stylist, corporate image consultant, speaker and author. She is founder and president of Organization By Design, Inc., a Needham, Massachusetts-based wardrobe management, fashion and image consulting firm that helps individuals and organizations understand the power of being appropriately dressed in a variety of situations.

Through her extensive corporate, retail and private client services, Mary Lou has helped thousands of individuals identify and pull together a wardrobe that complements their professional and casual lifestyles. She is the editor of Dressing Well™ Online, and the author of Ready to Wear: An Expert's Guide to Choosing and Using Your Wardrobe (Penguin USA 2004) which has also been published in Japanese. Private clients of her firm include executives, doctors, lawyers, bankers, media personalities, politicians, fellow entrepreneurs, as well as stay-at-home moms and young women just starting their careers. In the corporate arena, Mary Lou has provided consulting and services for companies such as American Express, Bose, the Estee Lauder Companies, Fidelity, Frito-Lay, Harvard Business School Executive Education, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Hewlett-Packard, John Hancock, Lillian Vernon, Nordstrom, Sara Lee and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.

Mary Lou is recognized by the media as a professional image, wardrobe organization, personal style and retail expert and has given in-depth interviews about a variety of these topics on ABC World News Now, CBS The Early Show, and MSN's Money Central. Her fashion and professional image insights are regularly featured in national publications such as In Style, Real Simple, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Marie Claire, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Esquire, Executive Female, Family Circle, Sales & Marketing Magazine, Woman's Day, Working Mother and The Washington Post.

A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in journalism and a concentration in fashion marketing, Mary Lou officially opened Organization By Design, Inc. in 1992 after several years in public affairs and communications. Her professional positions prior to becoming an entrepreneur include working at the Massachusetts State House as a legislative aide and being a public affairs administrator at Spectrum House, Inc., a drug and alcohol treatment center based in Worcester, MA. Mary Lou finished her pre-entrepreneurial work by returning to Jordan Marsh (where she had served on the teen fashion board during high school) and accepting a position as a PR and marketing specialist. She reported to the SVP of Corporate Communications, who became her first client.

Mary Lou served on the Board of Advisors for the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UMASS Amherst from 2004-2006. She also served on the board for Dress for Success Boston from 2009-2012. She was given the 2013 Standing Strong Award by the organization in recognition of her board leadership along with her support and advocacy for women entering the workforce. She is currently serving on the board of Caring Partners, Inc., the official charity of Coats for Kids and Belle of the Ball. Belle of the Ball allows young women who may otherwise not be able to afford to attend their proms an opportunity to receive prom essentials. Mary Lou has been involved with Belle since its inception in 2004.

Mary Lou is the 1999 recipient of the prestigiousAvon Spirit of Enterprise Award that recognizes women under the age of 35 throughout the United States that have demonstrated outstanding achievements as young entrepreneurs. She is also the creator and chairwoman of "Dressing Well: An Evening to Benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society." After being reacquainted with a childhood friend stricken with the disease in 1999, Mary Lou made a three-year commitment to the MS Society to help educate women about the disease while raising money for a cure by hosting three fashion show/fundraising events in as many years. These events raised over $215,000 for the MS Society during Mary Lou's tenure. In addition, Mary Lou received an MS Leadership Award for her vision and commitment to the cause.

To celebrate her firm’s 25th anniversary in 2017, she launched The Dressing Well Charitable Foundation which provides monetary support to other 501(c)(3) organizations, especially those that offer clothing, career support and social services to women, men and children while encouraging self-sufficiency. The Foundation runs alongside the company’s for-profit offerings and solidifies the firm’s commitment to enhancing the lives of others no matter their economic circumstances.

Mary Lou and her husband, TJ Andre, reside in Needham, MA with their twin boys, John Joseph and Timothy and their adorable beagle Suzy.