John Tighe is J.C. Penney Co. Inc.’s new chief merchant.
Tighe’s promotion to executive vice president, chief merchant is effective Oct. 1. He reports to chief executive officer Marvin Ellison. Tighe previously was senior vice president and senior general merchandise manager for the men’s, children’s, footwear, handbag and intimate apparel divisions.
Elizabeth “Liz” Sweney, whom Tighe succeeds, will serve in an advisory role through the end of the fiscal year, after which she will retire from the company. Sweeney, an industry veteran with 40 years of experience, has been with the retailer for 16 years. She was named chief merchant in March 2012.
Ellison said, “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. 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 omnichannel and increased private brand penetration, while positioning J.C. Penney as the best shopping destination for national brands and in-store attractions.”
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Dana Telsey of Telsey Advisory Group said, “We do not expect that J.C. Penney will miss a beat in the execution of its growth plan as a result of this change in leadership. Mr. Tighe appears to be the proper executive to take over the reins as chief merchant given his vast experience not only in retail, but with J.C. Penney. Further, we believe Mr. Tighe’s elevation to this role demonstrates the strength of the company’s bench and succession planning.”
Tighe has a 24-year career in retail, beginning at May Department Stores in various merchandising roles that included Filene’s and Meier & Frank. Penney’s 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, misses casual and special sizes, before leading jcp.com in 2009 as senior vice president. In 2010, he was named senior vice president and general merchandise manager of the retailer’s home division before heading to men’s in 2012.
Among those reporting to Tighe are Siiri Dougherty, senior vice president and senior general merchandise manager, who will now have the added responsibilities of Sephora in addition to women’s apparel and jcp salon, and James Starke, who was promoted to senior vice president, general merchandise manager of men’s.
Angela Swanner was promoted to senior vice president and general merchandise manager for Sephora. She reports to Dougherty.
Ellison said that the progress the company has made “would not have been possible without the leadership, dedication and expertise of Liz Sweney. We are thankful for her many contributions and are grateful that she will play a critical role guiding this transition through the balance of the year.”