The dismissal of former Apple retail chief Ron Johnson as CEO of JC Penney has generated a lot of ripples. Former Apple advertising guru Ken Segall worked with Ron and JC Penney on their new strategy, so he brings some unique detail to the discussion. Ken took to his blog and wrote a very lengthy post on the topic.
I’m not an expert on any of this material, but what he’s written makes abundant sense to me and I think it’s more than worth reading.
Ron Johnson has been ousted from his position as CEO of JC Penney. Ron had taken aggressive action to transform the struggling retailer since his hiring. The changes were hailed by some, even while they were derided by others.
I don’t know if the changes Ron was pressing for were right for the company or not, but I’m pretty sure they weren’t given enough time to be implemented.
What I’m left with after this dismissal and Apple’s decision to let John Browett go after less than a year as Apple’s retail chief is simple. Culture matters. Ron Johnson was no better matched to JC Penney than John Browett was to Apple. Both failed at a company that didn’t share their philosophy. This doesn’t make either guy bad at what they do.
Apple still has an opening in retail. The question now is two-fold. Would Apple take Ron back, and would Ron be interested in resuming his previous position. I have to think both parties may value what they had even more after the past 18 months.
Is it possible to go home again?