J. C. Penney has promoted John Tighe to executive vice president, chief merchant effective Oct. 1. He will report to chief executive officer Marvin Ellison.

April 6, 2018

2 Min Read

J. C. Penney has promoted John Tighe to executive vice president, chief merchant effective Oct. 1. He will report directly to the company's chief executive officer Marvin Ellison.

Tighe most recently served as senior vice president and senior general merchandise manager for the men's, children's, footwear, handbag and intimate apparel divisions. He will succeed Elizabeth Sweney who will serve in an advisory role through the end of the fiscal year, at which time she will retire from JCP after 16 years.

"John is an extraordinary merchant who, in his career, has curated some of the most high-performing brand portfolios in retail, including leading the growth of jcp.com,” says Ellison. “This broad experience gives him a keen understanding of the retail business, which will be essential to our success as we seize greater opportunities in omni-channel and increased private brand penetration, while positioning J.C. Penney as the best shopping destination for national brands and in-store attractions."

Among those reporting to Tighe include Siiri Dougherty, senior vice president and senior general merchandise manager, who will now have added responsibility for Sephora in addition to women's apparel and JCP Salon; and James Starke who has been promoted to senior vice president, general merchandise manager of men's. Additionally, Angela Swanner has been promoted to senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Sephora, reporting to Dougherty.

Tighe began his 24-year retail career at May Department Stores in a series of merchandising roles that spanned more than a decade at Filene's and Meier & Frank. J.C. Penney recruited Tighe as a buyer in 2002, and he was later promoted to divisional vice president, overseeing various apparel categories such as junior's sportswear, missy casual and special sizes before leading jcp.com in 2009 as senior vice president. In 2010, he was appointed senior vice president and general merchandise manager of the Company's home division before transitioning to men's in 2012.

Read more about:

JCPenney
Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry Article
Join 62,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.

You May Also Like