Catalyst Brands, the recently established parent company of Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, JCPenney and Nautica, has appointed Michael Fernandez as its new chief wholesale and business development officer.
Fernandez, who will report directly to Catalyst Brands’ chief executive Marc Rosen, will join the company’s senior leadership team. He will be responsible for overseeing all wholesale operations, both in the United States and internationally, as well as leading business-to-business, licensing, and business development initiatives across the portfolio.
Prior to this appointment, Fernandez spent nearly a decade at The Levy Group, Inc., where he held dual roles as chief commercial officer and chief merchandising officer. At Levy, he managed commercial strategy, merchandising, sales, and brand development across a range of lifestyle and performance brands, including Nautica. His leadership was credited with driving growth through wholesale expansion, licensing partnerships and strategic retail collaborations.
With more than two decades of experience in the fashion and consumer goods industry, Fernandez has also held senior leadership roles at Perry Ellis International. There, he worked across several core lifestyle and performance brands such as Original Penguin, Perry Ellis, Callaway, and Nike Swim.
Marc Rosen, chief executive of Catalyst Brands and former CEO of JCPenney, said the company was delighted to welcome Fernandez to the leadership team. He noted that Fernandez brought extensive strategic expertise with speciality retail brands, making him well positioned to accelerate Catalyst’s growth as it expands retail and wholesale operations. Rosen added that Fernandez’s previous experience with some of Catalyst’s brands and his proven ability to build retail relationships would be vital in furthering the company’s mission of “igniting America’s most beloved retail brands to make fashion accessible to all.”
Fernandez said he was eager to contribute to Catalyst’s development and to build on the momentum the group had achieved since its creation earlier this year. He described Catalyst Brands as “a powerhouse organisation, comprised of iconic retail brands and exceptional leaders” and emphasised his commitment to strengthening existing partnerships while cultivating new ones to drive further growth.
Catalyst Brands was formed in January following the merger of Sparc Group — a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group, Shein and Simon Property Group — with JCPenney.
