Marisa Thalberg will be responsible for marketing for the new combination of JCPenney and the SPARC group

JCPenney and SPARC Group have joined forces to form Catalyst Brands, a new combination of iconic brands retail brands uniting Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand and Nautica with JCPenney and its exclusive private brands, which include Arizona, Liz Claiborne and Stafford.

The new company also revealed that it had sold Reebok’s U.S. operations and was exploring strategic options for Forever 21’s operations.

Marisa Thalbergwho joined JCPenney as a consulting marketing director last October, will serve as chief customer and marketing officer of Catalyst Brands.

Thalberg announced the position in a LinkedIn Post Thursday, and told ADWEEK she has confidence in the skills she’s honed over decades of marketing leadership roles, but balances them with humility. “You come in knowing there’s a lot you don’t know,” she said.

Before joining JCPenney, Thalberg served as director of marketing and communications at United Parks & Resorts, parent company of theme park brands such as Aquatica, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld and Sesame Place, since April 2023. Prior to that, she held leadership positions. marketing roles at Lowe’s and Taco Bell.

JCPenney emphasized when announcing Thalberg’s hiring last October that it was a consulting CMO role, not a Fractional CMO role, and it ultimately gave him the chance to gain a wealth of knowledge about the company and its operations before joining the team full-time.

Thalberg told ADWEEK: “When it works, it becomes a very, very beautiful chemistry. It’s really satisfying to be able to write this follow-up post.

His first 90 days

It’s been 90 days since Thalberg joined JCPenney, and while the retailer boasts a rich 122-year history, she found that “a lot of people don’t have a modern perception of it.”

Thalberg highlighted the emphasis on fashion for all ages and sizes, telling ADWEEK: “We know what people think about the economy. Most people want really nice things that make them feel good at really good values.

She added: “There is real momentum at JCPenney, and my goal is to build on that and grow it significantly. »

Introducing Catalyst Brands

Catalyst Brands is a joint venture formed via an all-stock transaction between JCPenney and SPARC Group, along with SPARC shareholders Authentic Brands Group, Brookfield, Shein and Simon Property Group.

The company launches with more than $9 billion in revenue, 1,800 stores, 60,000 employees and $1 billion in cash, and its combined brands have served more than 60 million customers over the past three years .

Marc Rosen will serve as CEO of Catalyst Brands, with three brand CEOs reporting to him: Michelle Wlazlo, former chief merchandising and supply chain officer at JCPenney; Natalie Levy, continuing her role as CEO of the Aéropostale, Lucky Brand and Nautica brands; and Ken Ohashi, who will continue to lead Brooks Brothers and assume responsibility for Eddie Bauer.

“Tapping into that collective expertise and moving from single-brand to multi-brand can really leverage our scale,” Thalberg told ADWEEK. “Each individual banner will continue to find the best versions of itself in the marketplace. »

Former Walmart executive Kevin Harper will join Catalyst Brands as chief operating officer, and the company will be based at JCPenney’s current headquarters in Plano, Texas, with offices in Los Angeles, New York and Seattle.

“Our relationships with more than 60 million customers and the deep data we have creates a compelling consumer value proposition across our brands,” Rosen said in a statement. “We can design a more personalized shopping experience, offer unified loyalty and credit card programs, and ultimately cross-sell more effectively. This is an example of the many benefits we will see in this combination. With a healthy balance sheet, we are in an excellent position moving forward.