Michael Fernandez to lead wholesale operations at Catalyst Brands

Catalyst Brands, the company formed by the combination of JCPenney and the former SPARC Group, has named Michael Fernandez as its new chief wholesale and business development officer.

In this role, Fernandez will oversee all of the company's wholesale operations, both domestically and internationally, as well as business-to-business and licensing efforts across its portfolio of brands. These brands include JCPenney, Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, and Nautica. He will report directly to Catalyst Brands CEO Marc Rosen.

Fernandez brings over 20 years of experience in the fashion and consumer goods space, having previously served as chief commercial and merchandising officer at The Levy Group Inc., where he led commercial strategy and sales for a broad portfolio of brands, including Nautica. He also held senior leadership roles at Perry Ellis International. According to Rosen, Fernandez's strategic experience and ability to build retail relationships will be key to driving the company’s growth.

"I’m thrilled to be joining Catalyst Brands to help drive the organisation forward and continue the momentum it has been building since forming earlier this year," said Fernandez.

Catalyst Brands, which was established in 2025, operates 1,800 retail stores, shop-in-shops, and e-commerce platforms across the U.S. and Canada and serves wholesale accounts in North America and beyond.