Penney taps former Home Depot to head up stores

J.C. Penney Company appointed Joe McFarland as executive VP stores, effective immediately, succeeding Tony Bartlett.

McFarland, similar to J.C. Penney CEO Marvin Ellison, is a Home Depot veteran. He worked at the home improvement giant for over 20 years, most recently as president of its Northern and Western Divisions, where he was responsible for the sales and operations of up to 800 stores in 24 states. McFarland began his career at the chain as a sales associate.

“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 Ellison. "We are confident his commitment to excellence will further our efforts to streamline tasks, increase productivity and improve processes throughout all J.C. Penney stores."

In his new role, McFarland will lead the operations of all 1,000 J.C. Penney stores. His responsibilities will also include the implementation and support of numerous key initiatives, including same day pickup, in-store jcp.com fulfillment, improving sales productivity and more.

In announcing his appointment, J.C. Penney noted that since August 2015, McFarland has been pursuing his passion of providing affordable housing to families in need. He and his wife established an Atlanta-based non-profit real estate company to help achieve the goal.

McFarland is a Gulf War and Desert Storm veteran.