J.C. Penney Replaces Its Chief Merchant
September 23 2015 - 8:00AM
Dow Jones News
J.C. Penney Co. is switching chief merchants and elevating an
insider to the crucial role ahead of the holiday shopping
season.
The department-store chain said Wednesday it was promoting John
Tighe to the role of chief merchant starting Oct. 1, replacing
Elizabeth Sweney, who has held the job since 2012.
Mr. Tighe, who will report to CEO Marvin Ellison, has been a
senior vice president responsible for men's, children's and other
sections of the store. He joined J.C. Penney in 2002 as a buyer
before taking on executive roles. Before joining J.C. Penney, Mr.
Tighe, 46 years old, worked at May Department Stores for about 10
years.
Ms. Sweney, 61 years old, will serve in an advisory role through
the end of the fiscal year, at which time she will retire, the
company said.
Mr. Ellison, who took over as Penney's CEO on Aug. 1, had been
recruiting a new merchant and approached some retail-industry
veterans, a person familiar with the matter said this week. Mr.
Ellison wanted someone with extensive merchandising experience,
partly because he lacks that, this person added.
Among the executives reporting to Mr. Tighe will be Siiri
Dougherty, senior vice president of women's apparel, and James
Starke, who was promoted to senior vice president for men's
apparel.
Penney is the latest retailer to change chief merchants or
redefine the role, as technology changes the industry. The chief
merchant is often the No. 2 executive in the chain of command and
tasked with picking the right items to fill stores.
Write to Joann S. Lublin at joann.lublin@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 23, 2015 07:45 ET (11:45 GMT)
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