J. C. Penney Company, Inc. Names Daniel Walker Chief Talent Officer

PLANO, Texas, Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- J. C. Penney Company, Inc. (NYSE: JCP) today announced that Daniel Walker has been named chief talent officer. Mr. Walker, who brings nearly four decades of Human Resources experience at major companies including Apple and Gap, will be in charge of all HR functions at J. C. Penney and report to Chief Executive Officer Ron Johnson. He joins the Company later this week, on Nov. 16.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110222/DA51975LOGO)

Mr. Walker was the chief talent officer at Apple, Inc. from 2000 to 2004 and continued as a consultant until mid-2005. He led and built the Global Human Resources team during a period which saw the launch of the iPod, iTunes, a world-class Applications Division and the Apple Retail Stores. Mr. Walker was instrumental in recruiting Mr. Johnson to Apple to lead the retail effort. At Gap, Mr. Walker worked closely with the company's CEO and its presidents to build the talent engines that fueled the growth of its core Gap brand and helped launch new concepts including Gap Kids, Baby Gap, Gap International and a modernized Banana Republic. The talent supply chain model he created helped establish Gap, Inc. as a world leader in specialty retail in the early 1990s.

Mr. Johnson said, "Dan is a dynamic executive with a remarkable track record of transforming the talent profiles of companies that have gone on to redefine their industries. No one is more creative in this field than Dan. Having worked with him during five years of enormous growth at Apple, I know that he has the vision and energy to help us redefine the department store shopping experience at J. C. Penney."

Mr. Walker said, "For someone as passionate as I am about building extraordinarily talented organizations, there is no better place to be right now than J. C. Penney. The Company is committed to having the best associates at all levels as we work to re-imagine everything about our business. I have been fortunate in my career to help conceive and execute breakthrough change at a number of great companies, and I'm looking forward to doing the same at J. C. Penney."

About Daniel Walker

One of the world's leading experts in the field of Human Resources, Mr. Walker, 61, has played a pivotal role in identifying and recruiting leadership and redefining the organizational structure for some of America's most innovative and successful companies. Most recently, he built a cutting-edge human capital firm, The Human Revolution Studios. Before joining Apple in 2000, he was the founding CEO of Daniel Walker and Associates, an executive search and consulting firm. From 1986 to 1992, he was at Gap, where he became vice president of Human Resources. Prior to that, he was director of human resources for the Specialty Retail Group at General Mills. He began his career in Human Resources at Lazarus Department Stores, a premier division of Federated Department Stores. Mr. Walker served for four years with the U.S. Army Security Agency, and holds a B.S. in psychology from The Ohio State University.  

Media Relations
Darcie Brossart and Rebecca Winter; (972) 431-3400
[email protected]

Investor Relations
Kristin Hays and Angelika Torres; (972) 431-5500
[email protected]

Corporate Website
www.jcpenney.net

About J. C. Penney Company, Inc.

J. C. Penney Company, Inc., one of America's leading retailers, operates over 1,100 jcpenney department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as one of the largest apparel and home furnishing sites on the Internet, jcp.com. Serving more than half of America's families each year, the jcpenney brand offers a wide array of private, exclusive and national brands which reflect the Company's vision to be America's shopping destination for discovering great styles at compelling prices. Traded as "JCP" on the New York Stock Exchange, the $17.8 billion retailer is transforming its organization to build a sustainable, profitable enterprise that serves its customers, engages its associates and rewards its shareholders. For more information, visit www.jcpenney.net.

SOURCE J. C. Penney Company, Inc.