board spotlight: Michelle Wlazlo
Michelle Wlazlo -
FSF Board member and EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer at jcpennEy
Michelle Wlazlo is the Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer at JCPenney. Michelle joined JCPenney in February 2019. In this role, Michelle is responsible for leading all the company’s merchandise offerings, focused on building a balanced assortment of the best private, exclusive and national brands, including operations of the Company’s Merchandising, Product Development and Design, Sourcing and Planning and Allocation teams.
Before joining JCPenney Michelle spent nearly 22 years in various merchandising leadership roles, most recently as SVP, Merchandising-Apparel & Accessories at Target. In that role, Michelle led brand launches along with reimagining the instore experience.
Prior to Target, Michelle spent 19 years at GAP Inc., in a variety of roles, most recently as SVP, Global Merchandising, GAP. Over the course of nearly two decades, she held multiple merchandising roles of increasing responsibility for GAP Inc., inclusive of Old Navy and Outlet. Michelle began her career at Saks Fifth Avenue as a department manager before assuming store leadership and buying roles at Bebe Stores Inc.
Michelle has served on the board for My New Red Shoes, a non-profit dedicated to boost self-confidence, and quality of life of the community’s homeless and low-income children by providing them the opportunity to shop for new school clothing and shoes. She also has served on the board of Santa Clara University and the Retail Management Institute. She currently sits on the board for the National Association for the Education of Young Children, along with serving the on the Fashion Institute Council.
“My passion for retail started at a young age. When I was in high school, I would work along side my stepmother who owned a clothing store. I was always excited for Saturday mornings because I loved remerchandising the store and dressing the mannequins. It was there that I realized I had a natural ability to inspire people through a winning combination of the right product and the right presentation. The changes I made on Saturdays helped drive huge boosts in sales for my stepmom’s store. It was there that I fell in love with retail.”
“I believe in finding shared values, encouraging teammates to bring their whole selves to work and prioritizing health and well-being. To those looking to take the next step in their careers or create a name for themselves, I offer the following advice: work hard, but be patient. Let it happen at the right moment.”