JCPenney appoints Jill Soltau chief executive officer

"Jill stood out from the start among an incredibly strong slate of candidates," said Paul J Brown, JCPenney board director and chairman of the search committee. "As we looked for the right person to lead this iconic Company, we wanted someone with rich apparel and merchandising experience and found Jill to be an ideal fit. Not only is she an established CEO and former chief merchant, her depth of experience in product development, marketing, e-commerce and store operations have been an important basis for the turnaround work she spearheaded at prior companies."

"JCPenney is a quintessential American brand with a strong and loyal customer base, and I couldn't be prouder to lead such an iconic retailer. I am highly passionate about the customer and I spent my entire career focused on the needs of a value-based consumer by researching, understanding and meeting her expectations for style, quality and inspiration. Every position I've held has prepared me for this role, and I couldn't be more excited to meet the talented and hard-working JCPenney teams and get to work," said Soltau.

"I am delighted to welcome Jill to the JCPenney family. She is a strategic, customer-focused leader with a demonstrated track record of enhancing profitability and delivering results. Jill has the talent and passion to revitalise the business and position the company for growth," said Ronald W Tysoe, chairman of the board. "Additionally, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Therace Risch, executive vice president, chief information and digital officer, and Mike Robbins, executive vice president of private brands and supply chain, for graciously serving in the office of the CEO. Their loyalty and service will continue to be a valuable asset as they resume their respective leadership functions within the company." (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India