J.C. Penney Names Chief Digital Officer
Getting more competitive in the digital world is integral to the company’s turnaround bid.
J.C. Penney Co. Inc. has named Karl Walsh senior vice president and chief digital officer, filling a job that’s crucial to the chain’s turnaround efforts.
The company’s e- commerce operation has lagged the competition and needs to be pumped up with new offerings and an improved customer experience.
Walsh, who has more than 18 years of e- commerce expertise, will “lead strategic advancements of the company’s digital platforms and bring the customer experience to life, most notably in its flagship jcp.com,” J.C. Penney said in its announcement Tuesday.
Walsh will report to Shawn Gensch, executive vice president, chief customer officer.
“Nearly 90 percent of shoppers begin their path to purchase online so Karl’s background of building and executing digital strategies for global brands will help us improve our e- commerce offering and drive traffic across all channels,” Gensch said. “His strategic vision will be an asset for us as we continue delivering inspiring, shared experiences to our customers, helping to restore J.C. Penney to sustainable, profitable growth.”
J.C. Penney has already rebuilt most of its top management team over the past year, including hiring Jill Soltau as ceo, Michelle Wlazlo as executive vice president and chief merchant, Trish Adams as strategic adviser, Steve Whaley as senior vice president, principal accounting officer and controller, and Laurene Gandolfo as senior vice president for home product design and development.