JCPenney and SPARC Group joined forces to form Catalyst Brands, a new combination of iconic 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 sold off the U.S. operations of Reebok and is exploring strategic options for the operations of Forever 21.

Marisa Thalberg, who joined JCPenney in a consulting chief marketing officer role 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 was confident in the skills she honed through decades of senior marketing roles, but balanced it with humility. “You come in knowing there’s a lot you don’t know,” she said.

Prior to joining JCPenney, Thalberg had been chief marketing and communications officer at United Parks & Resorts—parent company of theme park brands including Aquatica, Busch Gardens, Discovery Cove, SeaWorld, and Sesame Place—since April 2023. Before that, she held senior marketing roles at Lowe’s and Taco Bell.

JCPenney stressed when announcing Thalberg’s hire last October that it was a consulting CMO role, and not a fractional CMO role, and it ultimately gave her the chance to gain a wealth of knowledge about the company and its operations before coming on board full-time.

Thalberg told ADWEEK, “When it works, it becomes a really, really beautiful alchemy. It’s really satisfying to be able to write that follow-up post.”

Her First 90 Days

It has 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 noted its focus on fashion for all ages and all body sizes, telling ADWEEK, “We know how people are feeling about the economy. Most people want really nice things that make them feel good at really great values.”

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

Introducing Catalyst Brands

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