J.C. Penney updates leadership team

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Jan 15, 2019

J.C. Penney Company, Inc. has revamped its leadership team, announcing the appointment of current executive vice president of private brands and supply chain, Mike Robbins, to the position of executive vice president, chief stores and supply chain officer, while Truett Horne, current associate principal at McKinsey & Company, will join the retailer in the role of chief transformation officer.

Robbins will begin his new customer-focused role on January 21, a position in which he will oversee all stores, supply chain and sourcing operations. Additionally, he will continue to manage product design and development until an appropriate successor can be found, focusing on customer experience and efficient product delivery. 

In his new role, Horne will report to J.C. Penney's chief executive officer, Jill Soltau. He will be responsible for the development and implementation of the company's strategic and transformational initiatives.

According to a press release, these changes are intended to "assemble a cross-functional executive team that merges the talents and perspectives of new and existing industry leaders to focus on the needs of the value-based consumer and position the company for growth."

"These executive changes reflect the strength and depth of each leader's responsibilities, and their enormous potential to drive change aligned with our customer's needs and expectations," commented Soltau. "By appointing and recruiting the right leaders who have the expertise and fortitude to accelerate a turnaround strategy, our senior executive team will play an instrumental role in energizing teams, connecting with our customers and positioning JCPenney for profitable growth."

The company said it is also seeking to fill other key leadership roles, including chief merchant, chief customer officer, senior vice president of planning and allocation, principle accounting officer and chief financial officer. 

Andrew Drexler, J.C. Penney's senior vice president, chief accounting officer and controller, will leave the Company effective March 31.