J.C. Penney makes key hire

J.C. Penney has appointed a dedicated digital officer.

The retailer named Karl Walsh as senior VP, chief digital officer. Walsh, who joined Penny on Dec. 2, is charged with leading strategic advancements of the company’s digital platforms and bringing the customer experience to life on its e-commerce site. He will report to Shawn Gensch, executive VP, and chief customer officer.

Most recently, Walsh was chief digital officer at Pandora Jewelry, where he grew its global e-commerce business and increased cross-channel consumer engagement. Previously, he led the U.S. consumer e-commerce and digital practice for Boston Consulting Group and served clients in the consumer and retail practices at McKinsey & Company. 

Walsh is one of about a dozen new executives that have joined Penney this year under the watch of Jill Soltau, who took the helm of the chain in October 2018. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Karl to J.C. Penney as we drive the renewal of our company and showcase our brand strategy through exceptional, seamless experiences for our customers,” said Gensch. “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.”