Jill Soltau to join JCPenney as Chief Executive Officer

The J. C. Penney Company, Inc. has appointed Jill Soltau as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors, effective October 15, 2018.

"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 in a statement, adding, “We wanted someone with rich apparel and merchandising experience and found Jill to be an ideal fit."

Jill Soltau is the new CEO of JCPenney

Soltau most recently served as CEO of Joann Stores, a specialty retailer that offers fabrics and crafting supplies in over 850 stores in 49 states. Under her leadership, the company said, Joann Stores has undergone a revitalization of branding, expanded digital and omnichannel capabilities and forged strategic partnerships to build meaningful relationships with its customers.

"JCPenney is a quintessential American brand with a strong and loyal customer base. 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," added Soltau.

Before Joann Stores, Soltau spent eight years at Shopko, most recently as president after serving as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer. She joined Shopko Stores in 2007 earning various executive positions of increasing responsibility to include senior vice president and general merchandise manager over apparel and accessories. Prior to her tenure at Shopko, Soltau held several senior level positions in merchandising, planning and private brand management at Sears and Kohl's, after starting her career with Carson Pirie Scott, which was later acquired by Saks Inc.

"Jill is a strategic, customer-focused leader with a demonstrated track record of enhancing profitability and delivering results," said Ronald W. Tysoe, Chairman of the board, adding, "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."

Picture:Jill Soltau via JCPenney newsroom