JCPenney announced the appointment of six vice presidents, each bringing years of leadership, innovation and expertise to the company.
“We continue to build a strong and talented team of leaders at JCPenney who will champion us through our Plan for Renewal,” said Jill Soltau, chief executive officer. “These appointments ensure we are set up for success as we work tirelessly to drive traffic, fuel growth and provide our customers with compelling merchandise and engaging, shared experiences at every touchpoint.”
Wendy Santana joins the company as vice president of business development. In this role, Santana will identify and oversee partnerships and strategic business initiatives. She joins the company after 20 years at Li & Fung—LF Americas/Oxford Collections—where she most recently served as executive vice president. Santana reports to Truett Horne, senior vice president and chief transformation officer.
Rounding out the senior marketing team under Shawn Gensch, executive vice president and chief customer officer, are Jill Feldman, vice president of marketing, and Roger Worak, vice president of customer engagement and insights. Feldman and Worak join fellow vice presidents Dan Matarelli, vice president of digital marketing, who recently served as director of digital marketing at Sprouts Farmers Market, and Robin Beuthin, vice president of creative marketing. Previously announced in October, Beuthin joined JCPenney from The Walt Disney Company where she was vice president of retail brand and creative.
Feldman brings more than 15 years of marketing and merchandising experience to JCPenney including brand strategy, marketing planning, e-commerce, media, CRM, product management, and five years of buying experience. She will lead promotional planning including brand, category and product storytelling. Feldman spent 11 years at Famous Footwear, most recently serving as vice president, marketing and brand strategy.
Worak is a digital marketing and technology executive with over 20 years of experience across categories and industries. In his role, he will lead all direct marketing, strategy and customer initiatives to identify insights that drive the business forward. Worak joins JCPenney from Front Burner Brands, Inc. where he was vice president of digital engagement following his role as senior director of digital marketing, CRM and loyalty at Hard Rock International.
As JCPenney focuses heavily on reestablishing the fundamentals of retail, Jeff Csuy joins the company as vice president of merchandise strategy and operations. A strategic retail leader with more than 30 years of experience, Csuy has led cross-functional teams in retail strategy development and implementation. In this role, Csuy will drive growth by leading the implementation of digital and physical merchandise strategies and initiatives while partnering with leadership to ensure cross-divisional alignment. He joins the company from Joann Stores where he most recently served as senior vice president, merchandising for sewing, everyday home, education and services. Csuy reports to Michelle Wlazlo, executive vice president and chief merchant.
JC Penney Company Inc. operates approximately 850 stores across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Photo courtesy JC Penney
