JC Penney Hires Target Executive as President

JC Penney Co. Inc. (Plano, Texas) has named Michael Francis as president, effective immediately. Francis most recently served as a senior executive at Target Corp. (Minneapolis). He will report to incoming ceo Ron Johnson, a former Apple executive.

In his new position, Francis will be responsible for all merchandising, marketing, planning and allocation, and product development and sourcing functions. He brings more than 25 years of merchandising and marketing experience, having spent most of his career at Target, serving as executive vp and chief marketing officer since 2008.

“I am thrilled to welcome Michael to our team,” says Johnson. “He is an extremely talented executive with the vision and courage to re-imagine the department store experience. His ability to innovate and deep understanding of the industry will be invaluable as we set out to transform JC Penney into America's favorite store.”

Francis began his career working on the sales floor of the State Street Marshall Field's in Chicago. “It was there where my passion for retail began and my understanding of the power and potential of the department store was formed,” he says. “I am delighted to join JC Penney and work with Ron and the talented JC Penney team to help accelerate the momentum already taking place.”