Ron Johnson Reveals How He's Going To Make JC Penney Look More Like Apple

The new CEO of JC Penney is taking some huge risks. Ron Johnson plans to completely transform the company by 2015. And a lot of this is inspired by his former boss, Steve Jobs.

At yesterday's presentation with JC Penney President Michael Francis at Pier 57 in New York, he spoke about how his time at Apple — specifically rolling out the Genius Bar concept — is influencing how the new JC Penney stores will look.

But that's just one element of his bold strategy, which involves new pricing and big-name partnerships. His main goal is to restore the integrity of the brand, which has been badly beaten in recent years.

"All it takes is courage," he told several hundred media, fashion and financial industry professionals. "We can change a brand overnight. And we're going to do that starting 2.1.12." 

Walking into the event reminded us of walking into an Apple store

A view of the stage before the presentation — which felt inspired by an Apple keynote event

The scene also felt somewhat like New York Fashion Week. We sat in front of a JC Penney designer, left, and two women who work in merchandising for Liz Claiborne

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