JC Penney Hires Apple Exec

Ron Johnson, formerly of Apple Inc., has been named the new ceo of JC Penney (Plano, Texas), effective on November 1. Johnson will also join Penney’s board of directors in August. He succeeds Myron Ullman, who will remain executive chairman.

Johnson held the post of senior vp of retail at Apple (Cupertino, Calif.) for 11 years, taking its retail strategy from inception to more than 300 stores. Prior to Apple, he was spent 15 years at Target Corp. (Minneapolis) as a key merchandising executive.

“I am delighted that Ron is joining our board and the company, and look forward to working with him as we continue to transform the JC Penney brand,” says Ullman, reports Women’s Wear Daily. “He is widely recognized and highly regarded in the retail industry for his creativity and innovation, his commitment to empowering employees to deliver an unparalleled customer experience, and to making stores exciting places where people love to shop.”