JC Penney Appoints Joe McFarland As VP Of Stores, Will Lead Operations At All 1,000 Stores

J C Penney Company Inc JCP on Monday announced the appointment of Joe McFarland as executive vice president of stores, effective immediately.

McFarland will oversee operations at all of JC Penney's approximate 1,000 stores. The executive brings over 20 years of retail experience. Most recently, McFarland served as president of the Northern and Western Divisions at Home Depot Inc HD where he oversaw operations of up to 800 stores across 24 states.

McFarland began his career at Home Depot more than 20 years ago and also served six years in the United States Marine Corps.

"Joe is an outstanding, solutions-driven leader with a proven track record of implementing in-store omnichannel initiatives, driving operational excellence and superior customer service within a highly competitive retail landscape," said Marvin R. Ellison, chief executive officer of JC Penney. "We are confident his commitment to excellence will further our efforts to streamline tasks, increase productivity and improve processes throughout all JCPenney stores."

Shares of JC Penney were trading higher by 1.64 percent at $7.12 heading into Tuesday's opening bell.